You Are Always Here To Me
by riverknowshisname
Summary: Professor River Song is back from the Library, with plenty more surprises up her sleeve. Could it really be any other way? :-) **if you like something please leave me a review, I want to know what things you guys like, helps me write better** :-)
1. Chapter 1

"River," Clara began. "She meant a lot to you didn't she?"

The Doctor nodded, not willing to go any farther on the subject. He hadn't meant to say that River was his wife. He had wanted desperately to avoid this conversation from ever happening. _Secrets keep us safe_, more like secrets keep the heart safe. But not here he was, his hearts opened like a book, raw with emotion. Seeing River in the tomb hadn't made it any easier, and saying goodbye had been harder. He still couldn't believe that she was really gone. Why had he talked to her? If he hadn't would she have still been around? He missed her more than words could ever say, and he really didn't want to try to find the words, because finding the words meant talking about feelings and that was something he hated to do. He loved River, no question about it, but he'd never said it before to anyone and he wasn't going to start now...regardless of the fact that it would have been completely true for River...he still could not bring himself to say it. _ Maybe...if she comes back...maybe then he could say it._ No, who was he kidding, River wasn't coming back. She had said goodbye hadn't she? "Goodbye...Sweetie." Then she faded, not out of his mind or out of his hearts, but faded, and he wasn't sure how exactly he felt about that.

"Doctor?" Clara was looking at him quite perplexed. "How did she die?"

He sighed. He guessed that since Clara now knew who River was, there was no point in hiding the truth or lying to her about it anymore. She would probably find out eventually, and he'd probably rather it come from him than anyone else. Truth be told he wished River had had more time to explain it to Clara in the catacombs, but alas, they were followed by the Whispermen and running seemed a bit more important.

"Long story," he was hoping this answer would silence her on the subject, he was really not in the mood to talk about it. Today was their, if she was there, 60th wedding anniversary. The more time that went on without her, the more his hearts began to hurt. He's been married on Gallifrey and even had children, but his wife there had been chosen for him. Time Lord's were chosen for one another based on social standing and wealth, so he had gotten Cossette, he had loved her in a sense, but there was no real chemistry there. He did love his children and missed them greatly with every passing year of his life, but they were in his past. There was nothing he could do about them now, much like River. He hated endings, and he thought about just how many endings he'd had a hand in, how many families he had separated in the name of peace. The Ponds would have been a perfect example of that...ah, the Ponds...there'd never be anyone like them. Amy, The Girl Who Waited, had chosen her husband over The Doctor. He knew that would happen eventually, but he never thought it would happen the way it did. Rory, The Last Centurion, he'd waited two thousand years for Amy. He's always been envious of their love. He'd have liked to think that some of that existed between him and River, but he was reserved to the fact that no one but Amy and Rory could have that kind of a love.

"We're in a time machine."

"Ah," The Doctor looked up from the console to Clara. "Yes, I suppose we are."

"Doctor," Clara came around the console so she was now standing beside him and leaned against it. "River. She was your wife."

"Yes," he looked back down.

"Wouldn't she want you to talk about it?"

Would she? For once he wasn't sure, but _River would know. River always knew._ But had he? He was willing to admit that River would always know more than he did. She could fly the TARDIS better than he could, he'd given up arguing about that when the TARDIS used the Voice Interface to tell him to sit down and let River drive. He still couldn't believe that had happened. He was ganged up on by Sexy and River, that was definitely not fair.

"Doctor, please?" She moved closer hoping he would let her in. She really did want to know about River, and she knew he needed to talk about her. If she really was as great as the "Professor Song" he'd mentioned in the past, why had he stopped since she had found out the truth about who the Professor was?

He sigh and then shoved the scanner away from him. He supposed that Clara had more than deserved to know the truth, she'd gone into his time stream to save him after all, he really couldn't - shouldn't - argue with that. Clara had earned her answer, but he wasn't sure he could handle the story. He cleared his throat, straightened up and faced Clara.

"River Song," he sighed, "also known as Melody Pond."

"Pond?"

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes at her interruption. "Amy and Rory's daughter."

"So your best friends..." she thought about it, "were your in-laws."

"Yep."

"Interesting," it was definitely more than interesting to him.

"I met her the day she died," he wasn't sure how he was going to explain River, or their relationship, but he was ready to have a go at it. "In the Library. I had gotten a note on my Physic Paper, thought it was odd, so did Donna; but we turned up there anyway." He turned around and leaned on the console. "Vasta Narada. They don't just live in the shadows, they _are_ the shadows, and they were the monsters I faced that night."

"River came in like she always did," as he explained he gave a sort of impression, "I am River Song, hear me roar."

"'Hear me roar'?" Clara looked at him funny.

"Isn't that a term?" he spun around and yanked his scanner over. "I thought I'd heard it used before."

"Is it really that important?"

"Well you asked," he pushed the scanner away again and crossed his arms over his chest. "Would you like me to finish telling my story now Clara?"

"Yes, please." She looked at him intently. "Sorry for the interruption."

"It's alright." He sighed and continued. "I didn't trust her. She acted like she knew me, I didn't understand at first was she was all, to borrow from Amelia Pond 'heel boy' I just thought she was some crazy lady who liked to be in charge." He flailed his arms around, "okay, that's what she was like all the time...and it wasn't until she came up to me and told me that she couldn't wait for me to trust her, and that she was sorry, I didn't understand why until she leaned in to me. She said my name. That's it, just my name. And I don't know why, but that seemed to solve everything. I knew that I was going to trust her implicitly in the future. I had told her my name and given her my screwdriver. Which at the time I couldn't figure out why I would have done that, but as the night progressed," he started pacing around the side of the console, "there was only one way to save everyone, and when I tried to save them she knocked me out."

He took a deep breath. This is where is got hard, because he could still remember this as if it had happened yesterday. "When I came to I was handcuffed to, I don't even remember what, and she was setting up on a chair with two cables in her lap, she was twisting something and then looked at me with tears in her eyes." He sighed and stopped pacing. "She told me that the last time she saw me we went to see the Towers of Darillium, and that I cried. She told me, 'Funny thing is, this means you've always known how I was going to die. All the time we've been together, you knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you, the real you — the future you, I mean — you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. You took me to Darillium to see the singing towers. Oh, what a night that was! The towers sang and you wouldn't tell me why, but I suppose you knew it was time. My time. Time to come to the Library. You even gave me your screwdriver; that should've been a clue.' I didn't know how to cope with that, so I told her the truth..." he sighed and looked at the floor before continuing, "that there was only one reason I would _ever_ tell _anyone_ my name. And that there was only one time that I could."

"What reason would that be?"

"I knew in that instant that she was my future wife," he continued as if she'd never interrupted, "there wasn't a single doubt in my mind. The only person I would ever tell my name to would be a wife, someone I could trust implicitly, and it was clear to me that's who River was. I didn't even know who she was, and here she was dying for me. Granted, more for the future me...the now me...but there she was. This woman that is supposed to be my wife, my greatest love, and she was dying right before my eyes.

"She was willing to sacrifice herself for past me, so that future me - the me from now, the present me - would still be able to meet her and have all our many adventures. Then I saved her to the Library's data core and left. She deserved better, I know that now, but I didn't know what to do at the time. I suppose I could have gone back there, but I just couldn't...can't..." he figured he should be honest, "bare it. I'd already lost her once, last thing I wanted to do was revisit it. I thought it would hurt too much." That sentence brought him back, back to his tomb, back to River, back to their goodbye. As a tear slid down his face he shook it off. "Sorry," he took a deep breath and walked around the TARDIS console and flicked a switch and glanced down at the blue stabilizers, he had called them blue boringers, just to annoy River, but now he called them stabilizers.

"How often did you see her?"

"Oh whenever time decided to bring us together. Downside of both being Time Travelers. Always going in opposite directions."

"We had a diary for that," came a voice from behind The Doctor.

"Yeah we had a diary for that." He kept talking not thinking about the new voice that had spoken up behind him. "Amy always used to say we were syncing out diaries, which I guess explained it pretty well. Since we never met in the right order it was a way to keep track of the adventures we had so that if and when we met up - um, scratch the 'if' there - when we met up we would look through them to figure out where we were as a couple. Once we figured that out we could talk freely and would know when 'Spoilers' was important. I think she overused that phrase. There were spoilers for everything with her...I guess it makes sense since my future was always her past. She had lived through the things I was going through. That could be quite maddening sometimes, but I got used to her knowing more than me...kind of found it attractive...but just about everything River did I found attractive."

"That's sweet honey," said the voice again.

"Thanks River," obliviously he continued. "She's part Time Lord, which is the only way relationships can work with me, they just don't work with humans, don't get me wrong I have really cared for humans before, it just can't work that way."

"I see," Clara is now staring over his shoulder trying to figure out if she's actually seeing River Song or not. Had the connection been reopened? She hadn't seen her in a good while and thought she was gone for good, she still hadn't told him that River was present in the graveyard and that she had opened the tomb...she wasn't sure if she should.

"We had so many adventures," he sighed, but it was a different type of sigh this time, if was full of a certain fondness.

"Jim The Fish."

He half turned and pointed at River, "exactly!" He faced Clara again. "They have a monument of me there." He straightened his bowtie rather smugly. "River wishes she was that cool."

Clara couldn't stand it anymore, she pointed to River and stammered, "Um...Doctor...isn't that...it couldn't be...but how...that doesn't make sense..."

"Oh Clara, it's just River, calm down." He froze. _River? Was it really River? It couldn't be. He'd said goodbye, she'd said goodbye, how could she be here?_ He spun around nearly falling over. "She's not possible."

"Hello Sweetie."


	2. Chapter 2

"River..."

She stood there and smiled at him proudly. She knew this was going to be an interesting entrance. They had said goodbye after all. Had he mistaken the "Spoilers" for something else? The look of shock on his face was hard to put into words, nevertheless she stood there smiling at him, waiting for the penny to drop.

"Okay," Clara looked at The Doctor, "how is she here?"

"I don't know." He arched his eyebrow, had she somehow cheated death or was she still mentally linked with Clara? Hell, it was River Song, that woman was capable of anything. "How are you even doing that?"

"I'm really here." Her smile remained.

"But..." he looked to Clara and then back to River. "How?"

"Yeah," Clara piped in, "how? And how can he see you? He didn't see you in the graveyard..." she looked at The Doctor, "or did you?"

"Never thought to mention," he squealed a little. He was still trying to work it out.

"Oh I do like to watch a man think," she tilted her head to the side and her hair followed, "it's like watching a whale knit."

"But, River..." he stepped forward and stopped. He then spun around to face Clara. "You saw here in the graveyard?"

"Well," she looked at River and then back to him. "Yeah. She talked to me..."

"Yes I know she talked to you, I heard her," he started to pace around the console trying to piece things together that just were not making any sense, River watched him as he tried to work things out, it really was entertaining to her. He always had the funniest faces when he was working really hard to figure something out.

"What? You mean you heard her?" Clara was stunned. She thought she was special, in the fact that only she could see and talk with River, but knowing that he could as well made her feel a bit ordinary and so much less interesting than they both clearly were. They were married and they still hadn't pegged each other out completely, which I guess would make sense, but Clara had never felt more out of place than she did at this exact moment.

"I always hear her." It was a statement. "And I always listen," he stopped pacing and looked directly at River, "and I can always see you." He stepped forward and ascended the staircase to River. Upon reaching her he stopped and looked down into her eyes, searching them like the big ocean that they were for an explanation. "But how can you be here?"

River shrugged. "Does it matter?"

He pointed at her, "yes," backed up and then moved his arms around, "well no, cause I mean," he looked at Clara then back at River, "you're here." He stepped forward again this time he was closer to her face then before. "But _how_?" River continued to smile, it was obvious she wanted him to work it out, but _how_? How was this even possible? Granted he had wanted this more than anything he'd ever wanted before...but _how_? He looked at her lovingly but annoyed, "I hate you."

River looked back with a smile, "no you don't."

"No, of course I don't. But River...how are you here?"

"It's not any fun if I tell you."

"Well," Clara raised her hand and looked at them. "I'd certainly like to know how you're here."

"There, you see, Clara would like to know, won't you tell Clara?"

"No."

"Ugh! You can be so frustrating sometimes!"

"Aren't we all?" She was having fun with this, it had been a long while since she could ruffle his feathers, and she was going to seize this moment and drag it out as long as she possibly could. "It's really not so very complicated."

"Coming from you River, that means nothing." He waved her off. "Everything is complicated with you - "

"You like it though."

"Of course, I do." He looked over to Clara who has since crossed her arms over her chest and shifted all of her weight to one foot. "Look River, Clara would like to know."

"Then don't take so long Sweetie."

He let out an exasperated sigh and turned from River, walked down the stairs and headed to the console. It wasn't until he started pushing button and pulling levers that River suddenly began to find less humor in his frustration and more concern. She walked rather fast down the stairs and over to the scanner, "where are we?" She saw the date on the scanner and looked at him. "You can't go there! I can't go there!" She faced him as he continued to direct the TARDIS to the Library. "Paradoxes, Doctor. There's too many. Clara can't go there either." As soon as she said it she regretted it.

He looked up from the keyboard at which he had begun typing, "Clara can't go there?" He looked over at Clara who seemed just as confused as he did, and then back to his suddenly-appeared-from-the-dead wife. "Why can't Clara go there? Clara wasn't there when I was. I think I would have remembered her." River crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh you know what I mean!" He straightened all the way up and pulled the scanner from River. "If you won't tell me, I guess we'll have to just go and see what happened."

"Doctor," Clara began, "weren't you just telling me that you 'couldn't go there' because it 'hurt too much'?" she was doing the quote marks in the air.

"Well, yes," he looked at Clara and then to River. "It was hard the first time, I didn't want to relive it a second time."

"It's okay, I understand Sweetie."

"Yes," he started to wiggle his hands around in front of River who he had unknowingly been walking close to, "but you seemed so sad when you told Clara..." he paused not sure if he should continue or not, "that I left you like a book on a shelf..." He dropped his hands at his sides. She was right. He had just left her. Though he had no idea what else he could have done, he had done what he thought was best, but what if he'd been wrong? He hardly entertained that thought, but with River, things he never thought about he suddenly found racing through his mind things he'd never do he would end up doing. There was just something about River Song...Melody _Pond_...Amy and Rory's daughter...oh how he missed them.

"I know that face..." River hesitated before putting her hand on his shoulder. "They were happy in the end."

"Of course they were." He agreed utterly and completely. They were happy in the end. "They always were...well save for..." he gestured to her and then did a 'rock the baby' kind of motion. "They weren't happy about that."

"That wasn't your fault." She could tell that was still raw for him. "You didn't know. You care so much that sometimes you miss the little things..."

"You as a baby...that's not a little thing River." He leaned over and hit the blue boringers. They had reached the Library. Not sure what he was going to find there he turned to River, "you stay here. If you're real, there's no way in hell I'm gonna lose you again." She gave a little smile at that, though he knew River would come anyways, River always came. Looking at Clara he told her, "I don't want you going out there. I have lived through this and so has River, we know what to be careful of..." he looked at River and gestured to her pulling her gun out of her stash in the console, "since apparently, my wife isn't going to listen to me and is going to come anyways..." he sighed. He was resigned to the fact that she was coming whether he wanted her to or not.

"Of course Sweetie."

"You die though River."

"Yes, I have lived this moment too, remember." She gestured to herself. "Yes I died, and obviously something happened cause here I am now."

"You don't know?"

"Well not exactly," she shrugged, "I was counting on you coming here. Now let's go, shall we?" She was already at the door ready to pull it open when The Doctor grabbed her hand.

"You are not going to wander off." He kissed her hand. "I'm not losing you again, you hear me?" He kissed her forehead and turned to the door.

"Shouldn't we do an environment check?" She met his gaze and let out a laugh.

"Of course not! We know where we are. We know _when_ we are. Why would we need to do an environment check?"

River laughed at her husband and pulled the doors to the TARDIS open. She wasn't sure how this was going to go. They were both going to relive their worst day. But at least this time they were going to do it together. River and _her_ Doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

As they stepped out of the TARDIS they knew exactly where they were, and just about what point in time they were too.

"Oh for heaven sake! Look at the pair of you!" a familiar voice came from the room right next to them. "We're all gonna die right here and you're just squabbling like an old married couple!"

"Doctor," came the voice of the other River, "one day I'm going to be someone that you trust, completely. But I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really, very sorry." There was a pause in the dialogue. "Are we good?" Another pause. "Doctor, are we good?"

"Yeah. Yeah we're good."

"Good."

In the other room, River looked at The Doctor, "did you actually trust me?"

"I didn't know what else to do..." he shook his head and then just looked at her, "how was I not going to after that? You told me my name River..."

"Yes, and I'm still sorry about that." She shrugged, "but you were being _so difficult_."

"Like you weren't?!"

"Run!" the Doctor from the other room yelled.

The Doctor and River jumped up, both knowing that if they didn't get a move on quickly they would run into their past selves. Grabbing her hand he pulled her to another lighted area that they knew they had never been.

"What are we supposed to do?" River urged him.

"Do I look like I know? We're in our own history, River. I don't even know what happened to you, so I don't even know where we can go...there isn't a manual for this." He backed into an area lit just enough so there was a way out and that they could stand in comfortably.

"If you trusted me then...did you always trust me?" River looked at The Doctor questioningly. "There were times...times it broke my heart to think that you didn't..."

"River," he picked up her hand, "I have _always_ trusted you. You never gave me a reason not to. I trusted you from the moment you told me my name, granted there were times where I didn't _want_ to believe you, but I have always trusted you." He placed a delicate kiss on her hand.

"How long are we going to stay here? We - past us - should be a good distance away from us by now."

"Right!" he spun around and found the door he was looking for. "This way!" And he pulled her behind him until they were down another corridor. Upon seeing the other River he came to an abrupt halt causing River to smack right into him.

"Doctor!"

"Right, sorry." He pushed her back up so she was solidly on her two feet. Then put his finger to his lips, "shh...you're right over there." And he pointed at past River who was talking to Anita.

"But not _my_ Doctor."

"Yeah, that kinda hurt a bit." He looked over at her.

"Well, it was basically true..._and_ I didn't know you were listening!"

"Yeah, well, I was." He paused thinking about how his last sentence was said almost as if it had come from Rory. He shook off the thought just as quickly as it had come. He's wanted to go visit them so badly, but he knew he couldn't do that without risking the safety of Clara - who he'd never even think of taking - and now River, not to mention just how hard that would be for both of them. It had been quite awhile since Amy and Rory had gone, and a giant hole still remained in his hearts from where they were.

"Can't we just skip ahead in time? I feel like this is going to take forever..."

"Oh be patient -"

"I don't do patient River. Patient is boring."

"Of course it is," she rolled her eyes. "But that's kind of our only option right now, since our route to the TARDIS has been blocked."

"Just saying I don't like it."

"Yes..."

"I'm a Time Lord, waiting is not how we function. I want to go to see Anne Boleyn executed, I hop in the TARDIS and I'm there. I want to watch Amelia Pond when she was little, I hop in the TARDIS and I'm there -"

"You stalk my mother?"

"I could even help Rose Tyler with her homework." He stopped noticing the look on River's face. "I could go help Rose. That would be interesting. Should we go help Rose with her homework after this?" He knew it was coming.

SMACK! River hit him hard. He knew he probably deserved that. River Song was a jealous lady when it came right down to it. She wouldn't ever out and out say it, but she definitely has her days. She's envious of every day that anyone else besides her has with him, it's just how it goes.

"Yup...I deserved that."

"Yes you did."

He was choosing to pay attention to the things at hand. After they had finally worked out their issues with the Rose Tyler reference they made their way down another corridor and through a series of doors they ended up in the room that led to the data core. Upon hearing footsteps they dashed behind of rack of books. In came the Doctor full sprint.

"Sorry River. Shortcut." He disengaged the lift and dove down the shaft.

"Is that really what you did?" River looks at The Doctor in disbelief. "You jumped down a shaft...to save me?"

"Just because I didn't know _you_," he gestured to her, "didn't mean I wasn't going to take care of you," points down, "for me." And he points to himself. "I knew that you meant a significant amount to the me from the future - the me now, here...with you -" he shook his head at the irony. "And I wasn't going to let him - me - down. I was going to take care of you."

River leaned forward and laid a simple kiss on The Doctors lips. "I didn't even know..." She shook her head. "I never realized what it was like for you. You didn't know me at all." She sat down. "And even when I got upset with you -"

"You always do."

"Well, you always deserve it."

"Nah..." He looked at his wife and smiled. He still couldn't figure out how she was here, he definitely wasn't complaining, but the fact that River wasn't a hundred percent sure how it happened was what bothered him. At least if she was able to lord "spoilers" over him, it gave him the confidence that he would figure it out, but for the time being, River wasn't sure and neither was he.

He took a moment and pinched himself, "Ouch!"

"What ever are you doing?"

He started to rub his arm, "I was trying out this human thing."

River crossed her arms and looked at him incredulously. She really didn't need to say anything because he let out a very exasperated sigh and hit his head on the cart beside them repetitively. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ he thought to himself. _Why are you even arguing this? You really want it to be untrue? 'Cause that's certainly the rate you're going at._ He wasn't going to debate it, he was really glad to have his wife back, especially since he thought he had lost her for good, then the thought dawned on him..._I'll have to lose her again. As if the first time wasn't hard enough._

"Doctor?" River was sounding worried. He looked up at her and let a smile spread across his face, although he had a hard time keeping it there. Finding out how she survived was going to be great, but the idea of having to lose her again was not something he wanted to think about, now or ever again. True he hadn't really known her when he saw her die, but he _did_ see her die, and he could never unsee that.

Caring was not always a good thing. Caring meant being vulnerable and he didn't like to be vulnerable. So much death surrounded him, granted, some people had just left or were no longer a part of his life, but death doesn't have to just be about someone dying. Death could refer to many things, and it was now that he was starting to reflect on the fact that he had caused so much of it, in the name of peace. He never used weapons...but his companions always did, River was above and beyond the exception. Separating that woman from her gun was like peeling the flesh off a double headed snot beast. Those things were terrible. Their skin was so tough that you couldn't even pierce it with a stake knife. They were the most invincible creatures out there. Downright ugly ones at that. He'd never regretted blowing up that planet. Maybe he should have. He always justified that they were evil, and most of the time they were.

"Doctor?" River put her hand on his shoulder and then pointed in front of them.

He raised his head and followed Rivers pointing to the girl in the distance. Dark hair. Red dress. Utility belt. "Clara?" The girl turned briefly and then spun around and jumped down the shaft, and then she was out of sight. "Spoilers?"

River smiled and shrugged. "Maybe..."


	4. Chapter 4

"Doctor!" River had jumped up and was now tugging at his arm, "we need to get after her!"

"Oi! I'm getting up." He stood up and then looked at River, 'oi' was something Amy would say.

"We'll worry and cry about my parents later," she was urging him over to the shaft, "but right now we have to find Clara...if we _ever_ want to know exactly what happened." She was about to jump in when The Doctor snapped.

"River!" He grabbed her elbow and pulled her back. Opening one of his arms he said, "together or not at all."

"You have _really_ got to stop with the Amy and Rory references," she sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, "it's really quite sad and I can't do sad right now." She knew she couldn't. _Never let him see the damage._ She figured when it came to her parents it really was acceptable, but with how hard he had taken it...how distraught he had been, she didn't think she could be upset about it. What he never knew was that that night she had cried herself to sleep. Being half human she needed more sleep than he did, she also had not been feeling well, come to find out later she knew why. It shouldn't have been such a surprise, but it kind of was. _But enough of that now_. Now was not the time to think about that, they had something to accomplish. When she regained her composure she noticed that they were almost to the ground of the other level, had she really missed that much? Apparently. She didn't even remember jumping in the shaft.

"Sorry." The Doctor apologized as their feet touched solid ground again. "I don't mean to be such a downer, but it's been awhile, and not a day goes by that I don't miss them." He smiled and gave a faint laugh, "even crazy Rory. He was always so self-conscious about how Amy felt...as if she had eyes for anyone else." He looked around them. "I think we need to go this way." He was pointing the direction that River was facing.

"We'll probably run a lot faster if we're not holding onto each other." He told River who was still holding onto him without realizing it.

"Right," she dropped her arms and started to walk in the direction that he had been pointing.

"I said 'run' for a reason, River." He grabbed her hand and took off on a sprint pulling River along behind him. Once she finally started running it wasn't quite so difficult to stay together. The Doctor always liked to think they were an unbeatable team, that no one would win against them; but there would always be someone. There would always be someone looking to destroy them, it's why they'd never made their marriage public. The only people that even knew they were married was a very small number: Amy and Rory (obviously since they were there, they were her parents, and they had to give their consent); Vastra, Jenny and Strax; and now Clara knew, but that was as far as it went. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to River because someone found out who she was married to. He would hate himself forever if he caused her anymore pain.

River was tough though, he knew that sometimes she wasn't as tough as she claimed to be, she'd cried herself to sleep the night that her parents "died." She didn't think he knew, but he did. He sat outside of their bedroom door and cried himself, but he didn't know what he should do. She obviously didn't want him to see her crying so he couldn't just waltz in there and expect her to continue crying. Sometimes he wished she wouldn't try to be so strong all the time. Granted, he was more proud of her than he'd ever admit to anyone, but sometimes he just wanted her to be a little less strong. She always knew what to say and what to do, but he'd have liked for just once...if she'd come to him and crumpled up in his arms...he wanted to feel needed. Oh, he knew that he was, it was kind of like saying "I love you"...they didn't have to. While most people just threw around the word "love" like it had no real meaning or significance is part of the reason why he'd never used that word before, not in this regeneration at least. He loved River, and she knew that. She didn't need him to say goodbye to signify that he loved her, though he was absolutely content doing that, because he knew if she'd have asked him to tell her that he loved her, he probably would have done it...but she knew he wasn't comfortable with it, so she'd instead asked for an act of love. A simple goodbye that had been denied her in this very place all those years ago...in the future. River had died in the future, though she was in his future and he was in her past and all this wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff that surrounded the two of them was unlike any other, but he'd never have it any other way.

He would do just about anything for that woman, though he'd never tell her that. He'd follow her to the end of the galaxy and back. She never dragged him into anything...well, more or less. She always made things interesting, and interesting things were hard to say no to. Just remembering when he rescued her after she jumped out of a spaceship back when they encountered the Weeping Angels at the Byzantium. That had been quite the adventure indeed. He'd know that River was his wife, he'd just chosen to ignore it. Tried to shove it as far back in his mind as he could...because he knew the sooner he fell in love with her the sooner he'd have to lose her, and he wasn't okay with that.

However, looking back now, how had that even happened? He seriously wondered, how could she possibly have survived? They were getting closer to the data core now when they heard The Doctor's Tenth incarnation coming towards them so they ducked behind some oddly located book racks. From that position they could see the mysterious Clara, who was doing the exact same thing that they were, except she had a smile on her face.

"I may have been born to save The Doctor," she stood up, "but in this instance, it's much more important that I save her." She sighed and looked around checking for anyone else upon seeing no one she crept around another section of books and pulled a gurney like table after her. To both The Doctor's surprise and River's surprise it was River laying on that bed.

The Doctor and River shared a brief glance before refocusing all their attention on this other version of Clara.

"Now, River," Clara was stroking her cheek, "what you did was incredible. It's almost as if he expects us to save him...I guess that's what makes us special, we're always willing to do it. Why I remember what I do now...I don't know, but I do know that he needs you. I don't think he realizes just how _much_ he needs you." She turned around and pushed the gurney up against the wall then sat on it and picked up River's hand to hold it in hers. "He's kind of like a lost puppy dog. You mean so much to him, and I don't know how you can tell...but it's all there. All of it. He never talked about you like that, you were - I guess are - his wife. He didn't tell me that, well he did, but he didn't mean to. When he did talk about you - as Professor Song - there was such an admiration in his voice...in the way he talked about you. And I'm sorry but I definitely pictured an old man, not a beautiful woman, who The Doctor clearly has not let himself mourn.

"He thinks he saved you to the data core, and I guess that's what he needs to think...I don't think he'd be able to stand this right now...especially not the future him. He needs help." She laughed and River smiled at The Doctor who quickly dismissed her. "But he always takes care of everyone. He doesn't like letting other people take care of him though, and he hates it when people die in his place. He may be an alien, but he has the heart and soul of a human being...and he loves us lowly humans, in ways we will probably never understand, but he always insists we're worth it."

The Doctor wasn't sure if he was liking what Clara was telling the unconscious River or not. She seemed to be praising him and critiquing him at the same time. He already had a lot of respect for this Clara, and he wasn't even entirely sure what it was she had done, but she had his wife by her side, and if she's the one who gives him another chance with the River by _his_ side, then that was all that really mattered...but how had she done it?

"Bet you're wondering why you aren't dead..." she moved some of River's hair off of her face before continuing, "well it's kind of complicated, well it's going to sound more complicated than it actually is, so listen up." She straightened herself and covered River with the blanket she had placed on the gurney.

"Well, during your act of insanity," she laughed, "yep that is definitely what I'm calling it, and you can't disagree, so it is decided." She very characteristically Clara nodded. "Anyways," she continued, "during your act of insanity and The Doctor about dying of emotional pain - we're gonna say his 'someone is dying for me, I'm not worth it' hullabaloo - I snuck in and pulled you out of there. Your mind is a little wonky right now, but you'll be alright. I know you'll be alright. As long as he needs you, I don't think you should ever be gone. Which means you'll pretty much have to outlive him, you got that?" she looked at River and concluded, "right, good. Glad we got that little bit of business sorted.

"I guess I should keep explaining," she nodded, "yup. After I pulled you out, I took your place. I actually got the brunt of it, but that's okay. He needs you, and he hasn't even met this version of me, so he'll have nothing to miss." She was right. If he didn't even know she was there or what she had done, then things were fine. And dying on behalf of River seemed like a more than acceptable thing. She was split into millions of 'echoes' as the River in the tomb had put it, and she knew that if The Doctor needed his River, then bloody hell, he was going to have her.

"He would probably scold me for this, so I guess it's a good thing that he doesn't know about it. River, I don't understand why you mean so much to him, and I wish I could pick apart your brain to find out, but I suppose that is unlikely, well I could, but it would be wrong." She sighed, she wasn't sure if River could even hear her, but she thought at least attempting to fill her in would be important.

"If only you could have seen his face after that conference call..." she inhaled and exhaled deeply as a tear slid down her face, "I'd never seen him so broken. He's gotten more happy, I guess you could say happy, lately...but then it was like nothing good had ever happened. He looked absolutely heartbroken. He'd agreed that you were an 'ex' but I thought it was odd that he would be crying over an ex...but he was. And I don't know how he ever gained his composure, but he did and then rushed out.

"You know what he said about you? He said, '_River would know though. River always knew._' I've gotta tell you River, he seemed so certain of that, so without question that you would know. I knew he was right, but I couldn't convince myself to agree with him. Then again, given the fact that he had been crying moments before I didn't think it would be fair to him or to myself, so I said nothing." She resituated herself so that she was sitting more comfortably. "I don't know how he functioned without you, to be honest." She thought back to the tomb, "you know, when we were in his tomb I knew that I needed to save you, because in a sense it would save him..." she chuckled, "so I kind of aimed for this moment, so it'll probably be the only moment of my lives that I'll remember. You told me about this, about the Library, and..." she paused, "I had to do my part. I had to save you."

She stood up, gently placing Rivers hand down at her side, "in the end it was easy. It was an easy decision to come here and save you. Right now, you're, well you're basically in a coma...that's why you think you're in the data core and why that conference call worked, Vastra had said 'time travel has always been possible in dreams,' voila you are dreaming. I don't know when you'll wake up...or sadly, if you'll wake up, but River you've got to. I'm dying, so I won't be here much longer, not in this life anyways, but it was all worth it. Wish I could see the look on his face, or at least remember this time just enough that it makes me happy...then again, he's probably gonna take awhile to even realize it's you," she laughed, "he's funny that way."

Clara lifted River's hand. "Your Vortex Manipulator, well I kinda took it from your pack, but here it is, safe and sound, I've half a mind to keep it and spend my last hours wherever I want...but I won't do that." She knew that if River did come out of this, then she'd need some way to find The Doctor, and this was probably her best shot. Oh sure, River could call him, but from what Clara understood, River would never make a "hello-I'm-not-dead!" kind of appearance over the phone. She's too good for that. She'd wanna make it a loud comeback, she'd want to be in that bloody TARDIS, and being who The Doctor is, he'll probably miss her and just pass her off as a trick or a memory. She laughed at that.

"Oh River..." she looked helplessly down at the woman with the funny name and the space hair. The woman that The Doctor loved, probably in spite of himself. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for him...all those years to fall in love with her, and all the while _knowing_ that she was going to come here and die. "I couldn't do it. But I guess that shows just how much he loves you...he saw you die River, he could have changed any of that future if he'd wanted to...but he fell in love with you." She smiled. "I didn't even know he could feel, he just seemed so together all the time...but then one mention of your name, and he's like a little schoolboy who's just come home from being bullied...all broken and hurting. And probably thinking to himself that he'll never love again..."

She looked around, "your love, it transcends space and time. He talked briefly about Amy and Rory and how much they loved each other, and how he's always been envious of that...but River, I think his love story with you if far more beautiful and precious...while I was hooked up to the data core, I was able to relive your memories...that man was head over heels for you, absolutely bonkers for you. He'd sail to one end of the galaxy and back if he knew it would make you happy. He would die a thousand deaths, just to make sure you wouldn't have to face one. I know this, because I know him, and this is how he thinks...all in or all out. He never gives half, he gives his all..." she paused reflecting on it. Wondering what that might have been like if she'd been in River's shoes, though she knew it would probably never be the same. She was feisty and smartarsed, and _sassy_ as hell. Everything she did was partially done just to irritate him, but there was something about that he found sexy. He'd never let an Angel get anywhere near her. Never, ever. No one else is going to take her away from him. Not ever.

River leaned her head on The Doctors shoulder, wishing that she had heard all of this at that time, she'd only heard the last bit, which Clara hadn't even gotten to yet, she was glad to know what context it was in now. As The Doctor leaned his head on hers she looked up and smiled, then she laid a soft and gentle kiss on his cheek. Clara had pegged him perfectly. River realized that Clara was probably the only person that could have picked up on that much...her mother hadn't even understood it, sure she'd been thrilled, well more or less she wasn't thrilled about being his mother-in-law, but knowing River had him, and he had River seemed to bring Amy a lot of comfort.

As The Doctor listened to everything that Clara was saying he realized just how see through he may have actually been. Had he really been as vulnerable as all that? He supposed that he could probably trust Clara with just about everything now based on this one encounter...and she didn't even know they were there...but would she have changed what she was saying if she did know that? He didn't want to test that theory, so far, he was loving Clara's commentary to River, it was beautiful and to have his River sitting beside him with her head on his should, made him all the more grateful for Clara's presence in his life. The Impossible Girl had done something wonderful...she'd saved his hearts.

"You know River," a silent tear sliding down her face, "you are beautifully tragic...you and The Doctor. I do believe you would die all over again to save him, but do something for me...and don't. I came into this time stream to save him...so as far as it depends on you...don't be the hero..." she sighed, "he needs you far too much." The River on the cot stirred. "You two are absolutely perfect together, and if all you hear from this, _ver_y one-sided conversation," she shrugged, "then remember this..."

"Whatever you do," River joined in, "don't ever let him go, and don't you ever keep the truth from him. He loves you, and even though you want to be strong...sometimes you need to fall into his arms and let _him_ catch you. He'll say he doesn't need to know, but River, he does. He likes to feel needed, so let him be needed. And love him, whatever else you do, love him, and _don't you dare_ let go."

As he sat there listening to the two of them he began to realize he didn't deserve either one of them, and he never wanted to let them go. He did need them, and he was going to make sure that they knew that.


	5. Chapter 5

_Crash!_

Not knowing what that was The Doctor, River and Clara looked to where the noise was coming from. In her haste and concern Clara spun around to River pulled her vortex manipulator up, punched in a date and location, grabbed ahold of River and vanished. The Doctor and River watched in astonishment as Clara and the other River disappeared from view. Neither knowing what to do now, all they knew was that they needed to get back to the TARDIS.

Jumping to his feet The Doctor grabbed River's hand, pulled her up to her feet and ran in the same direction they had come. They didn't know what that noise had been, but they knew that they weren't going to stop for it whatever it may or may not have been. The Doctor was running faster than per usual and River was having a hard time keeping up, but she knew the importance of keeping up with him and there was no way she wanted to be separated from him ever again.

After making their way back to the lift The Doctor didn't even hesitate, he pulled River close and sonic-d the lift, and it went up faster than it was probably supposed to move. When they got to the top they realized that there were people standing around and remembered, that is where they would be in their current time stream. And it now made sense to him why he never would have seen Clara taking River's body anywhere, because she had left the core room just as quickly as they had.

Upon reaching the main hall The Doctor slowed down and they continued to walk hand in hand back to the TARDIS which he had conveniently hidden from the view of the past TARDIS. As they reached the front of the TARDIS The Doctor pulled River around in front of him.

"Um, yeah," he hesitated, "sorry about that, ran a bit too fast, I guess."

It wasn't until he apologized that River noticed she was panting and very much out of breath. She coughed and straightened up, gave a, 'I'm fine' sort of hand movement and pushed the TARDIS doors open. She certainly wasn't sure how The Doctor was going to handle whatever happened once they were back in the TARDIS with Clara. He doesn't usually like 'spoilers' but he was probably hell-bent on saying thank you to Clara...whether she'd remember it had happened or not. The Doctor was just behind her and with a snap of his fingers the doors swung shut.

"Show off."

"I'd never have known I could do that if you hadn't said something," he stuck his tongue out. "Of course I'm gonna show off..." he muttered under his breath, as he made his way up to the console where he then leaned on it.

"So where are we off to?" Clara had come forward from the other side of the console.

"Um," River looked at The Doctor. He shrugged.

"Where would you like to go Clara?"

Clara looked at him in surprise. With River back in his life - and she had to admit it was her life too, sort of - she just assumed that they would go wherever River or The Doctor wanted to go, she'd never even entertained the idea that they might choose to go wherever she wanted to go or that they would even ask her. She looked at River who shrugged, she clearly had no idea that he was going to suggest that Clara could choose.

"Right," River said stepping up to the console. "So where shall we go?" She leaned on the console just behind The Doctor. She had to admit, she was feeling a bit clingy after everything they had just seen and been through, and she was more than thankful that she didn't have to watch herself die, or have her husband go through that a second time...then the thought dawned on her, Clara was right. She would _have_ to outlive The Doctor. She didn't necessarily see how this was fair given that she'd seen him die more than once...though the first time she had actually succeeded in killing him, and then brought him back to life, forfeiting all of her regenerations; and granted, one of them, wasn't really him, but still, she had to witness it too. Come to think of it, she realized they were all mostly, if not entirely at her hand. She didn't like that thought at all.

"Clara?" The Doctor straightened up from the console. "Is something wrong?"

River straightened up behind him. She hadn't realized until that moment that Clara did seem a bit off. She wasn't very bubbly, and she certainly didn't look like she was ready to go on any adventures, and River was sure she knew why. Even Amy hadn't liked sharing The Doctor with her, and Amy was _her mother_. Whenever someone traveled with him they felt a sense of ownership, whether it was theirs to have or not, mostly not. But River wasn't about to share him yet, she'd only just gotten back and had no intentions of going on any adventure without him, at least for the time being. They'd never been on the same timeline so neither of them knew how that would work out, or _if_ it would work out. She was going to give it a try though, she owed them both that.

"Could I just go home?"

The Doctor looked at River who subtly shrugged and then back to Clara. "Well," he wrung his hands together, "if that's really where you want to go," he paused, "then I guess so..."

"Well, I'm going for a swim," River felt the need to leave, just for a_ moment_. "You two can decide where to go while I'm gone." She leaned down and placed her gun back in her secret spot. Her and the TARDIS had made a pact that while The Doctor was at the wheel that gun was never where she'd put it...unless his life was in danger and he needed to use the gun...then in that case they agreed that it could show up. River smiled, patted The Doctor's arm and walked out of the console room.

The Doctor looked after her with a look of frustration, what was she expecting to happen? Maybe she actually wanted to go for a swim, that had happened before, but it was usually on another planet, she didn't really like the TARDIS' pool, he never understood why, but then again if ever she jumped out of something he usually just opened the doors to the swimming pool...so it was kind of like a catchers mitt...yeah, okay, he could see why she didn't like swimming there very much. Though he always preferred the worlds to the TARDIS' pool as well. His mind started to wonder until he turned his head slightly and remembered that Clara was there, he shook his head and walked closer to Clara.

"Now," he was in front of her now with his arms extended out, "why is it you want to go home?" He held his hands together and continued to move them around, "I can take you there, easy enough," he pointed with his thumbs over his shoulder at the console, "but why do you want to go home?" He looked at the scanner, "it's still Wednesday, you're usually sticking around till late on Wednesdays..." He looked down into her eyes. "Clara..." he hesitated, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she walked away and threw her hands in the air. She was lying of course and they both knew that. She had to admit that while she hadn't _really_ formed any romantic feelings toward him, she was lying to herself if she said there wasn't any at all, but it wasn't there enough that she should be so very jealous of his long-dead-wife who suddenly wasn't dead. River was unique, she was so full of sass there was no reason Clara could find to _not_ like her, but the idea of having to share her adventures with someone else just didn't feel right to her. Yes, River definitely had more of a claim on him, and if pushed she's sure River would pull rank on her - wife vs traveling "assistant" - and then she'd feel awful for making River insecure.

It was obvious that The Doctor was in love with this woman. For The Doctor to marry someone must have been significant, like he had to _really_ love this person...that person just so happened to be _Professor_ River Song. River had two titles she could lord over Clara, if provoked. Clara was sure that no matter what The Doctor would stand by River, and if there was a dispute between the two of them he would most definitely choose River's side...that woman with a gun would scare anybody into agreeing with her - _that's rude Clara, that's really really rude -_ she couldn't believe she had even thought that. The Doctor was very level headed, granted he definitely had his moments of weird, but all in all he always seemed to make the right decisions.

"Clara?" He was now getting concerned. "Clara, are you alright?"

"Um, yeah, I'm fine." She lied, "I just want to go home, kinda miss the kids."

"You just saw them this morning, they can get along without you quite fine," he pulled her arm over to the console, "so come on. All of space and time at our fingertips, where would you like to go?"

"He's not going to give up you know." River had reappeared, "and I'd have thought you'd made a decision by now."

"You didn't go swimming," The Doctor remarked with a smile as she came back, "you liar."

"Is there any other way to be?"

_So much sass_, Clara thought to herself. How would she ever compete with that? She gasped. How could she have even gone there? She wasn't a home-wrecker, although she felt as if River was a bit of one, coming in all late and whatnot. The Doctor and River both looked at Clara, both clearly concerned.

"Is something wrong Clara?" The Doctor questioned her.

"Are you alright?" River sounded more worried than he did, how was that even possible?

"Yeah, sorry."

"You gasped." The Doctor pointed at her, "people don't just gasp for no reason. No from my experience if someone gasps, there is always," he paused, "always a reason. Now maybe you don't know what that reason is, or maybe you do." He was backing up still talking and waving his hands around in the air, "maybe you just don't want to talk about it...but that's no fun-"

"You're one to talk." River had raised her eyebrows, her hand was on her hip and she was giving him a, 'you did not just go there' look on her face. "You hate talking about feelings, and gasping...or not gasping. What gives you the right to ask that from her?"

"Well," he looked at River and then Clara and then back to River, "why are you all..." he was looking for a particular word, "um..." he still hadn't found the word he was looking for.

"Judgmental?" Clara pipped in.

"Yeah," he pointed at Clara and then looked at River, the look on River's face told him no. He looked back at Clara and pointed again, "no." He looked back at River, "definitely not. Nope, definitely did not mean judgmental."

River rolled her eyes and left the room.

"River!" He stomped up the stairs after her, "River you come back here right now!" It was hard to hear what he was saying as his voice began to trail off, "I'm sorry River, you know I wasn't thinking judgmental." "I know you're not judgmental." "River please stop and talk to me." After that Clara could hear nothing more of The Doctor's pleas as he followed his wife through the TARDIS.

Of course Clara would fall to the back burner, this was one of the things she'd been afraid of going into this kind of a dynamic with the two of them. They clearly liked tooting their own horns and being one step ahead of each other all the time, which ended up putting Clara two steps behind. He had most certainly meant judgmental, it was the look that River gave him that changed his mind. Not long after their disappearances The Doctor and River reappeared. Clara wasn't sure what to think or how she felt, but River's arm was laced in with The Doctors, and Clara couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. This was definitely something she was going to have to work on...she didn't even care for him like that...she didn't think she did anyways.

"So," The Doctor said releasing his wife's arm and hopping down the stairs to Clara. "Where would you like to go?"

River came down the stairs not too far behind her husband, but she refrained from getting too close to him this time, she could tell that Clara was a bit annoyed with that and she didn't want to cause any issues. She liked Clara - sort of - she cared about The Doctor and that was good, but anyone that cared about him was alright in River's book.

"Anywhere?"

"Absolutely anywhere. All of time and space at our fingertips." He gestured everywhere. "I'll even let you fly!" The TARDIS made a groaning noise. "Fine..." he puckered his lips and sent a glare at the console and then looked back at Clara, "nope, sorry, River's flying...I've been outvoted again."

"What, by the TARDIS?" Clara pointed at the console questioningly.

"Oh yes, she's a bit partial to River. She feels incredibly motherly to her infact." He glared over at his wife this time. "Child of the TARDIS," he mumbled under his breath, "that's not even a fair argument." The TARDIS groaned again. "Alright, alright...sorry." He looked back at Clara. "So, anywhere, space and time...where are we headed?"

"I want to go see myself in Victorian London."

"Um," The Doctor looked at River, "okay..." he looked back at Clara.

"Victorian London," River was already at the console flicking switches and pushing buttons, "righty-ho then."


	6. Chapter 6

"Parked," River announced hitting a final button on the keyboard.

"Uh," The Doctor rolled his eyes at his wife and turned toward the door, "'parked' always parked. She always says 'parked,'" he muttered under his breath. Sure he'd been using the stabilizers more often since she had died - which now she wasn't - and now it was annoying again. As he was about to open the doors he heard River clear her throat loudly. He spun around, "yes dear?"

River shook her head at him. "Shouldn't we change, I don't know," she hesitated and gestured to everyone twenty-first century attire, "so we fit more with the time."

"Yes, I suppose so." He stalked back up to the console, shot a glance at River and then turned to face Clara, "after you Clara." He gave a slight bow and directed her towards the staircase.

"Isn't it in the same place?"

The Doctor shook his head, "no..." he huffed, "the TARDIS decided to move it back to where River liked it," he sighed heavy, "of course she's partial to River."

"Thank you Sweetie."

"For what?" he looked over his shoulder at River.

"Wasn't talking to you," she patted the console.

The Doctor huffed and continued on his way, this time Clara was following him.

"Where did she move it to?" Clara asked. "Why does she do whatever River wants?"

"Actually," he grumbled, "River probably didn't even ask her...but she likes her more than me..." he shook his head at this and then continued grumbling, "because she's a child of the TARDIS and the TARDIS literally treats her like that." He stopped and spun around to Clara, who halted abruptly, "_Literally._" He turned back around and kept walking, this time he was going faster and seemed more grumpy. He started mumbling, Clara missed most of it, but what she did catch was him complaining about River.

The TARDIS then gave a very loud very animated growl and River appeared behind them, "Doctor..." she shook her head and passed them. She stroked the side of the TARDIS wall, "complaining about me again I bet." It was a statement not a question. Clara thought it was kind of strange how well they knew each other, even this many years later. Come to think of it...given how long River had been "dead" how had she maintained her youth? She would have assumed that River would be older, gray even...so why wasn't she?

They reached the wardrobe room, The Doctor turned to the left upon entering and Clara continued into the other side, where she found River changing already. As Clara looked around the room she realized that it looked _much bigger_ than before, and there were designated clothing areas. River had hers and Clara had hers. Clara noticed that hers was significantly smaller than Rivers was. A door slammed, causing Clara to jump.

"Oh here he comes," River smiled and turned to face the door. She was only partially dressed, but she turned anyways. The door flung open to reveal The Doctor standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips. He kicked the doorway.

"River!" He stomped his way over to her, with his finger pointed out he wagged it in her face, "how come whenever you're in here the TARDIS decides to _shrink_ my clothing options?" He wasn't too happy, Clara could tell that easy enough. "I'd like some options too."

"How many suits do you need, Doctor?" River was smiling, almost as if she had really missed this confrontation. As Clara thought about that fact it made sense. She had no idea just how many years the two of them had actually been separated, so she figured that River was probably trying to make up for lost time...and the TARDIS was helping her to do just that.

"That is not the point, River."

"The point is the suit you want isn't in there, right?"

"Yes," he folded his arms over his chest. "Yes, River," he huffed, "I cannot find my suit!"

River laughed and reached into her wardrobe and pulled out a purple-ish colored suit. The Doctor looked at the suit and then back to her, and then back to the suit and finally looked at the ceiling of the TARDIS, "you two can play your little games," he wiggled his finger at the ceiling and then at River, "but leave my suit out of it." He yanked the suit out of her hand and stormed out of the room.

"He's so touchy sometimes," River turned ever so slightly to look at Clara, "it's really quite humorous." She then turned back to what she was putting on. "Shouldn't you find something and put it on Clara?"

River was right, Clara had been so focused on what had just happened between The Doctor and River that she had stopped looking for something to wear. Looking into her very limited amount of choices she found a red dress that she liked a lot. Unbeknownst to her, it was the exact same dress that her Victorian London counterpart would be wearing as well.

A few moments later Clara and River joined The Doctor back by the console. As soon as she descended the stairs and he caught site of her his jaw dropped. River noticing that gave him a smack on the shoulder, he let out a single "ouch, River!" and was back to normal. He came over by Clara, "is that what you're planning on wearing?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "something wrong with that?"

He shook his head, "nope, not at all."

"Doctor," River was now standing by the doors. "Shall we go?"

The Doctor glanced at Clara one more time before nodding and following River out of the TARDIS. Clara hesitantly followed behind them, she felt like a funny type of third wheel. No The Doctor and River weren't snogging all the time or even that affectionate around her, she wasn't even sure they were affectionate when she wasn't there. They had a very unique kind of relationship, they could get mad at each other at the turn of a hat, but then five or ten minutes later it was as if nothing had happened. Had they always been like that?

Upon exiting the TARDIS and closing the door Clara could see a couple feet in front of her that instead of The Doctor straightening his bowtie, River was doing it and he was holding her muff. After she had straightened his bowtie to what he thought was enough he flailed his arms around signaling that his bowtie was fine. He then handed River her muff.

"Thank you," she said, tapping his nose with her index finger and smiled. It was then that she noticed Clara had exited the TARDIS. "Come along then, Clara." River was waving her to join them. Clara walked forward, in no hurry. "Where would you like to go?"

"Is this the time that Vastra and -"

"Yes," River cut in, "this is the time that they are from." She looked over at The Doctor, "shall we go and visit them?"

"Um," The Doctor looked at the ground and mumbled, "probably not."

River tilted her head to looked down at his face, "and why ever not?"

"Uh," he did a 'I'm so guilty' looked and then continued almost at a whisper, "not a good idea. Crossing timelines, bad." He shook his head, "ooh this is bad River..." he slowly lifted his head, "this is extremely very not good."

She placed her hands on her hips, "and why ever not?"

"It was just after the Towers..."

River knew instantly what that meant, but he had said it in such a way that genuinely worried her. Just after the Towers really could mean anything, but with him she could only imagine exactly what it had meant. She saw how he was when her parents "died" and then her heart sank...how soon it had been after that that they had seen the Towers...he had lost all three of them within a month, her heart sank. "Oh..." it was all she could think to say.

"The Towers?" Clara had come forward looking at the pair of them. What were "the Towers" and why had it brought about such a stale feeling in the air. River knew something, _River always knew_ something. The Doctor himself had said it, but what could it have possibly been? And why did it seem to cause them both so much distress?

River hesitated while still looking at The Doctor and then slowly turned to Clara, "the Library..." she glanced back at him and then to Clara yet again, "was two days later."

Clara understood now. The Library is where River had died. She had no idea how that would have effected him, but obviously this Clara would know. Maybe she could see The Doctor from the past and get a better understanding for why he had been so distressed about the whole thing.

"What did you do?" River was staring at him with concern all over her face.

"I hid..."

River sighed.

"In a cloud..."

He paused a good long while.

"It wasn't a very good time."

"I should say not..." she lifted his head up, "Doctor, I'm so sorry."

"You didn't know, River," he stroked her cheek, "and I couldn't tell you," he sighed. "Too many paradoxes...fixed point in time...you know..." his voice was just above a whisper when he finished talking.

"Yes, I know."

"Right!" The Doctor straightened up, put out both his elbows, "shall we?"

Both River and Clara laced their arms with his, and they headed out from the alleyway.


	7. Chapter 7

As the trio made their way through the alley they heard a voice in the distance...

"Why do you keep doing this? What is the point?" Clara and River exchanged looks while The Doctor himself froze and stopped moving forcing the women to stop as well, neither sure of exactly what was going on.

"We're too early..." The Doctor said hanging his head, his arms dropping a little.

"I've told you, I keep telling you, I don't do this anymore. I've retired." There was a hardness to his voice that River had _never_ heard before and she was having a hard time grasping it, but it was cutting her to the core.

Both Clara and River looked at each other and then at The Doctor, clearly this was not a moment he wished to relive and neither of them rightly knew why, but they listened on in spite of their confusion and concern.

"There's a man on Parade street with an invisible wife," it was Jenny Flint speaking, which must have meant that Vastra and Strax were there as well. "Maybe he just doesn't have a wife..."

River let out a gasp and her free hand flung up to her mouth...she now understood why he was upset about the timing.

"You're wasting your time," the other Doctor went on, then they heard as The Doctor sulked away from the group.

"Merry Christmas!" They heard Jenny call after him. "I think he means it," she was now talking to Vastra and Strax.

"Yes my dear," it was Vastra this time, "I rather think he does."

Then the group heard footsteps, The Doctor yanked them over behind some crates just as Vastra and Jenny passed, they heard Strax say "damn moon," before he too walked past the group. All the while, none of them knowing they were even there. Once the group had left the alleyway River turned to The Doctor.

"Doctor..." she was clearly at a loss for words and there was a layer of concern in the way that she said it. Clara realized that was River was seeing his heartbreak regarding her death in a new light, and it wasn't pleasant to her at all, in fact she looked as if at any moment her beautiful face would shatter into tears.

"River," he let go of Clara's arm and faced her, "we don't need to get into this now." There was a sudden firmness in his voice and a hardness in his face that Clara had never seen before, and she could place no emotion on it at all.

"But Doctor..." River's voice cracked, a single tear slid down her face and The Doctor reached up ever so sweetly to wipe it away. River didn't cry in front of him, that was apparent in the way that she had been several times earlier. The Doctor seemed to be touched ever so slightly by this, Clara assumed from their silent interaction that River didn't simply just not cry in front of him, but that she _never_ cried in front of him. Something unknown to her had just occurred between the two of them, and for once, Clara felt that she certainly needed to give them some space. She turned and walked a few feet away and sat on a crate.

"River..."

"I...just..." River was stammering. "I...can't..."

The Doctor picked up both of River's hands in his own, lifted them to his mouth and kissed them each individually and then finally looked into her face. "It was a long time ago," he wiped another tear from her face, "please don't worry about it."

"_'I'm retired,'_" she quoted back to him. "Retired..." she gasped and more tears made their way out of her eyes. "I don't even..." she inhaled sharply as she tried to regain her composure. "Oh Doctor..." River no longer knew what to say, but like she had heard the other Clara say, she let herself crumple into his arms and she began to sob uncontrollably.

The Doctor held on to her so tightly he was afraid he might hurt her, but he thought it was necessary. He had hardly remembered, well that was a lie, he remembered with almost perfect clarity how he had felt at the moment he said those words. Vastra, Jenny and Strax were trying to help him, and he scorned them every time, but when it came right down to it, they were always there for him, and they cared for him, even when he didn't deserve it..._especially_ when he didn't deserve it.

He resituated his arms around River and pulled her closer to him, he'd never seen her cry in this regeneration. He'd seen her cry the day she died, but it hadn't really meant much to him at the time, her tears now however, cut him to the heart. He'd not even realized what the knowledge of that time would do to her, and he didn't want to try it, but here he was, too early in the time stream and she was crying...more than crying, she was sobbing. For the first time in their relationship, River was not in control of her emotions, and he wasn't sure exactly how he was feeling about that. He hated to see her ache, especially when he was the cause of that ache and pain.

River was having a hard time regaining her composure. When she had died to save the younger Doctor, she hadn't even given a second thought to what that would do to this Doctor, her Doctor. She hadn't even thought of how it would effect him, and she had to admit she was utterly surprised to see how it _had_ effected him. For the first time in their relationship, he was completely in control of his emotions and part of her liked that and part of her did not. One thing she was certain of, was that she felt safe and protected in his arms. She knew everything was going to be alright now, but the need to outlive him shot through the metaphorical roof. She would _have_ to outlive him. She would never want to put him through this again.

Clara was watching from a distance as River began to cry, she thought it was odd that this, 'stronger than ought to be' woman had completely lost control of her emotions. As Rivers crying turned into sobbing Clara realized that River loved The Doctor more than anyone else ever would. She was no longer worried about the way she had felt, she was no longer jealous. Seeing the way that he held River, how he was stroking her massive head of hair, she'd never seen that kind of love. He parents had loved each other a great deal and she had seen her mother cry before, but there was something about the way that River was crying now that set her mother and River so far apart. Her mother had been a very strong woman, and so was River, but the fact that this was probably the first time River had ever cried in front of him made it that much more precious.

Clara couldn't describe what she was seeing, even if she tried she couldn't. Her heart ached for both The Doctor and River. She assumed that the two had never been closer than they were in this moment of pain. The Doctor had to live through his utter unhappiness again, and River was confronted utterly and completely by just how much he loved her, and just what her death had done to him, and she was having an unbelievably amount of difficulty coming to terms with it.

The Doctor began to think about what the other Clara had said about his and River's love...he realized that there was something that set them apart, and there was something about their relationship that was changing in this moment of weakness. River had let him in completely.

River's thoughts were rushing through her head, just what had happened to him that night, the night she went to the Library? He would have, and did know, that he was sending her to her death, she couldn't even imagine having to do that. His crying at the Towers made perfect sense to her before, but to hear the hardness that had become a part of his heart as a result just crippled her. She was trying to sober up, but every time she tried another thing would come to mind and her tears would begin flowing again. How had she not thought about what it would do to him? She died so that his tenth regeneration would go forward in life and meet her, but she hadn't _thought_ about this Doctor...about the Doctor what did love her. The Doctor who had married her, and who...no, she wasn't going to go there, that was not something she wanted to deal with right now, she was already crying more than she wanted to be.

Clara wasn't sure how much time had passed till when River had reached the point that she was able to slow her sobbing to crying, and then her crying to forcing herself to take deep breaths. She had definitely acquired a certain fondness for River based on this one event, that woman loved The Doctor so much that when she was confronted with how distraught he had been after her death she could not cope.

The Doctor released River who had just barely stopped crying long enough for him to pull his handkerchief out of his pocket, upon handing it to River he smiled at her and said, "this is why I like this suit. In case I need a good cry over my past self, I have it with me." River took it from him. "You know what wife?"

"What?" it came out as a sort of croak. She cleared her throat, "what?"

"I do believe we have reached another plateau in our marriage," he looked proud.

"Oh?" She smiled at him, "and what would that be?" She blew her nose.

"Reversal of emotions."

"That's not a plateau."

"Yes it is," he took the handkerchief back and placed it back inside his jacket, "I just made it one. I am plateau king." He thought about that and then, "ooh, no that's a rubbish title, let's not use that."

River shook her head sarcastically, "never. Never ever." She smiled faintly.

"There, that's what I want to see," he tapped her on the nose with his index finger. He clapped and spun around to Clara, "right, Clara! My Impossible Girl, shall we go?" he pointed his thumbs over his shoulder toward the street.

River straightened up and was now standing beside The Doctor who propped out his elbow for her, she then laced her fingers in his and used her other hand to place on the top part of his arm. They had reached a new plateau in their relationship, but she agreed, 'plateau King' was a rubbish title, and being that she's his wife she definitely didn't want the title of 'plateau Queen,' it wasn't sexy enough for her. _Queen of sass,_ now that was a title. She smiled at Clara. River had a newfound affection for Clara. Clara had done the kindest thing for her and had backed away from her and The Doctor long enough to give them a moment to themselves, and she would make sure to thank Clara for that later.

Clara stood up, and as The Doctor and River walked over to her he stopped in front of Clara and said, "now, you're going to have to really listen to me, so that we don't run into your counterpart, 'cause that would be bad, paradoxes, and just bad. Bad bad. Definitely very not good."

"Oi!"

"Ooh..." he turned his head, "definitely...not good."


	8. Chapter 8

"Doctor..." River hesitated looking at him, "what about running into _your_ counterpart?" She stroked his arm, "wouldn't that be worse than Clara running into...other Clara?"

"Well," he stepped in Clara's direction pulling River along with him, "yes, that would also...be not good." He started to back farther into the crates River having no other option but to follow him back, after having passed Clara she followed behind him - well in front of him - he was walking backwards.

"I thought we was just getting acquainted," the other Clara was saying.

"Those were the days..."

The Doctor dragged River and Clara down as his past self walked by them. Not long after echo Clara was off at a run to catch up with him. It was then that both River and Clara understood why The Doctor had reacted the way he did to her attire.

"This could be bad..." Clara stated out loud.

"Yes Clara," The Doctor stood up, "this could be _very_ bad." He then turned to face the women and extended his hands pulling them up from the ground. Upon standing they both brushed off their dresses and followed The Doctor, who instead of offering either woman an arm he clasped his hands together behind his back and began walking. The women hurried after him, though they had to admit in the shoes of the time, it was fairly difficult for them to keep up. River had forgotten just how much those kinds of shoes had hurt.

They continued to walk in silence. The Doctor wasn't saying anything so neither were they, and because he was so quiet there was a great amount of concerned looks passing between Clara and River. Neither knowing what was going on in that mans head and both hoping desperately that there would come a time that he would explain, thought they continued to walk on in silence.

As they rounded into another alley The Doctor stopped abruptly, "River," he sighed, "you have a right to know," he dropped his hands to his sides, "well...you can just listen." It wasn't until he had said this that River and Clara realized they could hear the other Doctor around another corner, and a muffled yelling. He turned to face Clara, "oh, yeah..." he looked at the ground and then back up to her, "you're sort of locked in a carriage right now."

"Uh-huh," Clara nodded slowly, "course I am."

He leaned against a wall and with one hand grabbed River's and he pulled her over in front of him so her back was to his front, he wrapped his arms around her. He knew what was coming and he didn't necessarily want her standing alone for it...

"...be reasonable," Strax was speaking.

"It is not our problem," past Doctor was saying, "over a thousand years of saving the universe, Strax; the one thing I learned, the universe doesn't care." They then could hear Clara not far away yelling "let me out" it felt odd for Clara to be in one place and hear herself in another.

River had expected something like that was going to be said, but it didn't mean that it would hit her any less hard than it did. She had raised her arms up to grasp The Doctors encircling her, he wasn't holding too tightly, but there was a sense of - something she could not place - in the _way_ that he held onto her. River could tell that something was going on with The Doctor's emotions, but she didn't want to push him on the subject now. There would be time for that later, she hoped.

"But," he began, "we don't need to stay here for anymore of this. Let's go back to the TARDIS get a good nights sleep and we'll pick up where we left off in the morning." He let go of River pushed her a little bit forward so she would move, he grabbed her hand and then Clara's and they made their way back to the TARDIS.

"Doctor..." Clara began hesitantly. "What am I doing - the other me - what is she doing right now?"

He sighed and took them down another alleyway that faced out to a main road. Across the street there was a rather large building with a fence surrounding it. The sound of someone whistling directed their attentions to a dark figure walking in the fence. He stopped for just a moment.

"I don't much like that hat."

"Put your gun away River."

"Fine..."

Suddenly the past Doctor jumped in the air and pulled down a ladder.

"Please," came River's voice very sardonically, "you're not hiding away in that cloud are you?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." she hadn't expected that he was actually hiding away in a cloud. River had always known that he loved her, she knew that. He didn't have to say it, and she'd never make him, but to see just how much - how lost - he seemed to be without her she just didn't understand. _It's almost as if he actually loves _me _more than I love him,_ she thought to herself. She'd have been devastated if something ever happened to him - no one else could kill him but her, not that she would ever try to kill him again, but the point still stood. No one else could kill that man. They'd have to kill her first. "_Don't be the hero..._" came the voice in her head. "_He needs you far too much._"

"Oh well that's just not fair!" River was talking to herself, but both The Doctor and Clara who were watching past Clara jump up and pull the ladder down were a bit confused by her reaction thinking that she was talking about the situation at hand.

"River?" he was looking at her confused.

"That's not even me..." Clara insisted, "well, it is - but it isn't."

"Oh," she looked at Clara then The Doctor and then back to Clara, "...I was talking to myself."

"Well, talk to yourself a bit more quietly, would you? Paradoxes -"

"Oh, don't even start to lecture me about paradoxes!" She turned with her hands on her hips toward her husband, "and I'm not even here - there -" she pointed, "so it really doesn't matter what I do or say right now."

"River! Get down!" The Doctor pulled her down. "We can argue about this later."

"Good, because we will," River obstinately stood up, spun around on the spot and headed in the direction they had just come from. "I will see you at the TARDIS, though I cannot, and shall not guarantee that I'll be awake when you return."

"River!" The Doctor hollered after her.

"I'll see you later Doctor," and with that River disappeared from view.

"What was _that_ all about?" Clara wondered.

"I...have...no idea..." he sighed, "but I'm sure I'll be paying for it later...and probably in a way that I'm not going to like."

"If she's up when we get back."

"Oh, she'll be up, it's whether she'll fake it or not," he shrugged, "if she fakes it, then we're definitely not talking, and the other is obviously the opposite...though I'm not counting on that right now."

"But you didn't do, or even say anything..."

"No..." he hesitated, "sometimes I don't have to..."

"That doesn't seem fair..."

He shrugged, "eh, I'm used to it." He laughed, "it's how we function. Maybe we have a wheel that needs oil here and there, but that's just how it is." He stood up, "now, it is time for bed -"

"River should have stayed."

"She's been through a lot today...I don't blame her for wanting some space..."

"The TARDIS is so huge, she couldn't get any space there?"

"She a complicated woman, Clara," he sighed as he extended his elbow for her to grab, "and no, there's not enough space in the whole TARDIS for River to get some space..."

"But you guys were fine earlier..." she took his arm and they began to walk together back to the TARDIS.

"Oh, we're still fine. I'm fine, we're fine...this is her way of saying she's not fine, and this is how she deals with it. Because of some stupid thing she used to say."

"Tell me more about her Doctor, about River."

"River...well, River is River."

"She said you used a diary to track where you were? What was in that? Does she still have it?"

"Whoa Clara, one question at a time."

"Right, sorry. Can you explain the diary?"

"When I first met River -"

"At the Library?"

"Yes, at the Library," he emphatically rolled his eyes at her obvious interruption. "She called me over and asked me where we were, if we'd done the picnic at Asgard - that was a great day -" he smiled remembering it and then caught himself and continued, "if we'd done the crash at the Byzantium and I think she asked about one more, and of course I hadn't done any of them at all. I can still remember the look on her face when I told her that I didn't know who she was," he sighed, he could picture it almost as if it was yesterday, "I was a bit scared of her, I didn't know who she was and she was telling me about dates we were going to have before we'd even had them.

"Ironically, I'm actually the one that gave her the diary...future me from that point, and past me from this point, but the same me, as the me me here now."

"Right, got it."

"Ah, yes, right."

"Please continue."

"Well that's pretty much it about the diary. Did you want to know anything else? 'Cause I can't guarantee I'll be this willing to answer much about her another time."

"Byzantium?"

"Ah, yes. Weeping Angels."

"Weeping Angles?"

"Statues that look like angels - well they are angels, they're just made out of stone - but you can't blink, _never_ blink if you see an angel, not ever. Damned awful creatures. River and I should have noticed right away that all of the statues were angels, but we were being a bit thick and so neither of us noticed until we were so far in the catacombs that it really made no difference at all."

"I hate catacombs."

"Yes, Clara, I know this."

"Sorry..."

"I knew River was my future wife, tried to deny it...did deny it till I was utterly and completely confronted by how much she loved me - but that's another story - Amy...my Amelia Pond - River's mother - instantly insisted to me that River was my wife, I agreed, 'cause it's true, but I threw something in after it hoping that would be enough-"

"It wasn't?"

"Look, who's telling the story here, me or you?"

"Right...I'm sorry."

"River didn't think I was listening - well, no she probably knew I was - and Amy told her, she didn't ask her, she told her that she was my wife. River didn't deny it, but she didn't admit to it either. But that's how River always was, it was 'spoilers' this and 'spoilers' that - honestly I have no idea who actually said it first...she said it to me first, her future my past...and then I said it first, my future to her past...it's all wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff," he realized he'd gotten off track, "right, but anyways it was a risky high intensity night. I'd never have admitted it then, but I definitely was starting to genuinely like River. We'd had adventures before that, and they were great, they really were."

He thought back to River turning up in the TARDIS - how had she even done that? Ah, questions for another day. But definitely a mystery worth solving. Jim The Fish. She was talking to him and he was completely oblivious. Of course he would miss her entrance, he'd done the same thing with Rory back at the Pandorica. He shook his head, he didn't like to think about the Ponds, there was no replacement for them. The would always hold a special place in his hearts.

Clara stopped abruptly, "Doctor..." her voice was drenched in worry.

As The Doctor focused less on his memories and more on what had caused Clara to stop his hearts gave a slight flutter, they were surrounded by Snowmen, he had just been too blind to notice that they had even appeared.

"Great..." his sarcasm was palpable, "Snowmen."


	9. Chapter 9

As River made her way back to the TARDIS she rounded a corner and ran right into Strax.

"What are you doing boy?" he looked up at her, "forget how to walk did you?"

River gasped, running into the trio was not a good idea at all.

Jenny stepped out of the carriage, "come on Strax-" she caught sight of River and froze. "Ma'am I think you should..." she trailed off into some incoherent babble.

"What is it Jenny?" Vastra exited the carriage. Jenny nodded in River's direction. Vastra turned to look and saw River.

"Professor..."

"Hello Madame Vastra," River wasn't sure what to do now. This was definitely not supposed to happen.

"Does he know you're alive?" Jenny asked River.

"Not this version of him..." she sighed, "so please don't tell him."

They all shook their heads except for Strax who looked at her rather annoyed.

"Shall we summon The Doctor?"

"No!" It was all three women who spoke.

"Oh alright..." he was disappointed.

"Strax go wait by the carriage, Jenny and I would like to have a word with Professor Song."

"Fine," Strax sauntered off to the carriage.

"Now," Vastra looked at River, "how can you be here?"

"How is anyone anywhere in time?"

"The Doctor?" Vastra wondered aloud.

"But, that doesn't explain his mood at all." Vastra was very curious now.

"This version of him..." she sighed, "this version - timing - of The Doctor doesn't know I'm alive."

"Alive?" Vastra looked surprised.

"Choice of words." River was mentally yelling at herself.

"What time are you from Professor?" asked Jenny.

"Spoilers," River shrugged. She really couldn't - shouldn't - tell them anything. "I can't tell you, I really can't, but please be there for him, like I already know you are. I'm sure eventually he'll cheer up, but right now, well frankly I saw what he's like and it broke my heart, but that's all I can say."

"Professor -" Vastra began.

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"But, Professor -" Jenny tried to press on.

"I can't. I'm really very sorry, but I just can't." River shook her head and started to walk away. She needed to leave, and get back to the TARDIS, she didn't need to run into the other Doctor if she could at all help it.

"Merry Christmas!" Jenny hollered after her. "Must they always do that?"

"It sure explains a lot about them."

River continued walking. She hadn't determined yet if walking away from The Doctor and Clara was a good thing or not. She doubted it. But sometimes, especially after what had transpired over the entire day, she was just at a loss for words and really need to be alone with her thoughts. River saw the TARDIS and made a dash for the door. What she failed to notice entirely was that it was the wrong TARDIS.

"Voice Interface enabled."

"Oh no!" River had stepped into the wrong TARDIS and she knew it.

The Doctor looked over at her. "Now why did you show up over there?" He kicked the console. "And why would you take that form?"

River had to think quickly. "Voice Interface enabled." She hesitantly walked toward the console.

"Oh you can walk now?" He looked at her. "That's cool. And you dressed for the time, also cool." He looked down as River took her stance next to the control panel. "But taking that form is just cruel. Please pick someone else." The TARDIS groaned. "Fine, River can stay." He kicked the console again, "but just so you know, you're not winning yourself and brownie points for this one."

He began to pace. A few times he glanced at River. After a few moments he stopped, and right in front of her. Holding her breath was essential at this very moment. He couldn't know she was real. Paradoxes...she'd just walked into a pretty grandeur one. Stepping up close to her. He looked all over her.

"It really is mean...very, very not nice." He spun around and with his hands behind his back continued pacing. "Shall I tell you something, River?" She remained silent. "You're dead. Yup, dead. I knew it too, I knew I was sending you to the Library, you want to know how I knew? Want to know why I was crying? That's why. I saw you die River, oh not this time, complicated a bit, but the first time I met you River Song, you died." He let out an exasperated sigh. "I didn't even know who you were! I didn't even know anything about you! But you knew all about me. There were things you said that night, that have haunted me for years." He shook his head, "oh no, nothing like that. Of course it wasn't anything bad. You're a bad girl sometimes, but you've never lied to me, well, no way to be sure of that, you follow Rule 1 almost as well as I do.

"The Library," he shook his head. "I had _never_ been confronted so irrevocably by someone who was clearly in love with me...I've been fancied, lots of time though, but it wasn't the me of that time, so I admit, I probably treated you less than what you deserve, or more so, I really can't remember it." He wiggled his hand in front of his face, "it's all a bit hazy." He paused for a good long moment before he continued, "maybe I could go back and save you, but I don't know _how_! River tell me how."

"I'm not River Song, I am a Voice Interface." River knew that is how it usually responded and so she knew that she had to play along, although this new experience with the Doctor that she was having was probably never supposed to happen. But as long as he thought she was a projection of the TARDIS, they were quite alright.

"Well," he sighed, "I know that. It was a rhetorical question, ya stupid old machine." The TARDIS whirred. "Well, you're the one who decided to be River, you could have chosen _anyone_ else, but you decided to go with my dead wife. Yeah, that's not cruel and unusual punishment at all. I just don't see how this is fair!"

He had walked fast over to River and had his face in hers, "you know I was okay with her parents, when I thought I had more time with River! But for once, time _was_ the boss of me! I couldn't say no to Darillum again, but no one will ever know just how badly I wanted to! It's not fair! Why do I always have to lose them?!" He was yelling now.

It was taking everything that River had to stand there and take his frustrations with her death. She didn't think she could possibly take anymore of this when he let out an enormous sigh and walked over to a seat, sat down and started to sob. The only other time she had ever seen him cry like this was when her parents had left - died? - left. Knowing these tears were for her were almost unbearable.

For the next fifteen minutes he cried and River was forced to stand there in the exact same way and had to force herself to stay together when the man she loved was over just across the TARDIS falling to pieces. And she couldn't help him. She knew she couldn't. This Doctor had to think she was dead...at least for now. After a few more moments of crying he rubbed all the tears from his eyes, stood up, breathed deeply and walked back over to River.

"I know you don't mean anything by it..." he stroked the console, "I'm sure you miss her just as much as I do." The TARDIS croaked. "Um, no, I'm pretty sure you don't miss her more than I do." The TARDIS made a bell like noise. "I'm not gonna argue with you on this. She was my wife and you were just her 'mother,'" he made quotes in the air with his hands, "only because Amy and Rory got pregnant while on board, that does not give you the right to pull rank of feelings on me." He was now looking at the TARDIS console.

A single tear dropped from one of River's eyes, she quickly reached up and flicked it away while the Doctor was facing away from her; and as soon as she did that he turned around to face her again. "River..."

"I'm not River Song, I am a voice interface."

"Just like your mother."

"I'm not River Song, I am a voice interface."

"Scottish, all I'm saying." He waved his hand at her. "It really is quite odd, there being no River to have adventures with. We always had the best adventures. Sure we got shot at a lot - mostly River's fault, she's the one with the gun - but we always had fun. Okay, not _always_. We definitely had a couple run-in's with death...okay, a couple is putting it lightly, but they were always worth it." He waved at the console and started to walk around it again.

"Time Travelers...we kept meeting out of order," he sighed, "which I both liked and hated. Liked because she was always there whenever I was in dire need of her, and I was always there for her. I wonder if she thought I'd abandoned her at the Library. Probably, I saved her to a data core...not really that great, couldn't think of anything else though. She handcuffed me to a bloody - what-cha-ma-call-it - and kept the sonic's away from me." He leaned back on the console. "It kind of scared me, ya know? She knew me so well..."

He shoved off of the console, "she knew my name."

Walking around the console again he stopped by the stairs and looked over at River, "it hurts, you know? Her not being here..." he sighed and turned to the stairs, "I'm going to try to sleep...haven't slept a wink in over a few months..._six_ months...thinking maybe I should give it a try..." as he walked up the stairs River's shoulders faltered. "Sexy, turn off the interface, I don't have the strength to make her disappear again," and with that he wasn't in the area anymore.

"Oh..." River started crying and rushed over to the door, wretched them open and came face to face with The Doctor.

"River!" She collapsed into his arms. "My past just changed a bit..." he grabbed her, "now I know why. River are you okay?"

"Doctor," it was Clara, "I think she needs some rest."

"Yes, I think you're right." He picked her up, "come on Clara let's go."

"Right behind you." As she followed him she picked River's arm up that was hanging down and put it around his neck. "She's been through so much today."

"Yes she has," he looked down at her, "River I'm so sorry."

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Clara?"

"So how come thinking about those Snowmen melting caused them to turn into water?"

"Telepathic stuff," he grunted, "oh River, why did you have to go to the wrong TARDIS?"


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up River glanced to her side, The Doctor was sleeping, that was uncommon. Oh he slept, but not often. _But_, she thought, _given what the other Doctor had said, he probably needs to catch up on a lot, she'd only returned today - yesterday? - after all._ She had missed this, sleeping in the same bed. They could never last longer than maybe - if they were lucky - a few moments cuddling, too used to sleeping alone made it very difficult for them to get used to sharing a bed.

As River thought about what had happened, she couldn't believe that she hadn't paid attention to the TARDIS, how could she have forgotten where The Doctor had parked his, and heaven knows why she ended up there. Things happened for a reason, "never ignore a coincidence" The Doctor was always saying, "unless you're busy, in which case always ignore coincidence." She was choosing to ignore it at the moment.

For several minutes River debated about whether she should get up or not, she finally decided to get out of bed, she carefully got out of the bed, threw on a robe, kissed The Doctor's cheek and quietly left the room to head to the console. Upon reaching it she found Clara sitting on the stairs, looking as if she hadn't slept at all.

"Clara?" she looked up at River having heard her name.

"Oh hello, River," she said rather unconsciously. "Sleep well?"

"Depends..." she took a seat by Clara, "did you sleep well?"

"No, I didn't sleep at all."

"Couldn't?"

"More or less," she glanced up the stairs, "is he actually sleeping?"

"I guess so."

"That's a surprise," Clara was making a statement, apparently he still wasn't sleeping.

"Yes, I suppose so." River wasn't sure what to say to Clara. She wasn't a mother - touchy subject - so she wasn't sure what she should say and she felt that this was a time for words of wisdom, which she had none of.

"How are you doing?" Clara was asking River.

"Oh," she sighed, "I'd be lying if I said I was good."

"You're not then?"

"No..." she hesitated, "that was not easy to live through."

"What happened River?" Clara was looking at her intently, "in the other TARDIS I mean...you kind of just...collapsed...when we came to get you."

"I suppose I must have."

"When you left we were surrounded by Snowmen..." she was explaining, "and we were having a time getting rid of them when The Doctor went rigid, almost immediately the Snowmen disappeared and he took off running. I knew something had happened, but he didn't even stop long enough to explain, we just ran and ran until we found the TARDIS and he just stopped outside the door and waited for you."

"He would...paradoxes, he wouldn't have come in..."

"Oh believe you me, River," she patted River on the shoulder, "he wanted to."

"Yeah..."

"River?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?" Clara turned herself on the stairs so she was sitting diagonally and facing River.

"Sure..." she hesitated, "what is it?"

"The Doctor...how did you come back?" She looked very confused. "On our way back he explained what happened at the Library - the second time around - where did the other Clara take you?"

"I'm sure he'd like to know as well..."

"Yes, I'm sure he would too, but River, can't you answer me?"

"Oh Clara," she sighed, "it's not as easy to explain as you would think."

"Could you at least try?"

"I think The Doctor really should be present when I answer this..."

"Well, then, get on with it, River." He had come up the other set of stairs, "I'm just as curious about that as Clara..." he stopped near the console. "How did you survive after that?"

"She took me to the hospital of the Sisters of the Infinite Schism."

"Ah," he nodded, "greatest hospital in the universe."

"Yes..." she scooted over so that she could see both The Doctor and Clara while still being comfortable, "they sure take good care of their patients. Especially those there for a second time," she looked at him hesitantly.

"So they knew you were there?" The Doctor did not seem thrilled.

"Well," River paused, "yes they did."

He stomped around the console, "she did every bloody person in this universe know you were alive but me?"

River was surprised and not surprised by this outburst from The Doctor. She could only imagine how anything about her death, or almost death, would get to him now as he found out other things that he had been kept out of the loop about. River had asked them to keep it a secret, she even had her own room separate from anyone else. Clara had insisted upon it when she had brought her there. Under no circumstances was anyone to notify The Doctor that she was alive, because she knew that he wouldn't accept that fact if it came from anyone besides her.

"Calm down," River wasn't asking him to calm down, she was telling him to calm down. "What would you have done in my place?"

"I would tell me hus - wife - that I was alive." He folded his arms over his chest and huffed over to a chair on the opposite side of the console and sat on it so fast that all the air in the chair escaped with a "poof" type sound.

"Sweetie..." River sighed, she really couldn't take much more drama from him; she was moments away from slapping him harder than ever, and she was planning to if he didn't stop whimpering about everything. "I was in that coma longer than you would think..."

"How long?" He perked up and dropped his arms.

"Almost a year."

He face fell, "I would have visited you..."

"We both know that's not true."

She had hit him on the proverbial head. He knew he'd never have been able to see her suffering like that. She may not have even been suffering, but to see her weak, feeble and unresponsive...he knew she was right. No one knew him quite like River did, and he was actually glad about that. He trusted this women implicitly, but knowing that she had been alive all this time, was very hard for him to understand. How much time he had missed out on, how much pain he had to deal with. He was not okay during the time that he thought she was dead, and he wasn't even sure he was used to her being alive either.

"No, River, of course you're right. I would not have been able to handle that."

"What happened River?" it was Clara, "how did you wake up from your coma? Especially given how long you were in it."

"They don't really know Clara, they said the first words I spoke were 'Goodbye Sweetie...'"

"Trenzalore."

"Yes, I don't think it could have been anything else."

"Are you two gonna have a mushy coupley moment?" Clara stood up, "cause if you are, I'd like to be somewhere - anywhere - else."

The Doctor looked at River who seemed just as surprised as he was that Clara had assumed that they were going to have a 'mushy coupley moment,' what was that even? True they probably needed a good snog, but at the moment, it didn't seem so wholly important. There would be plenty of time for that later. He was going to make sure of that. Now that he had River back, he wasn't going to let anything happen to her ever again.

"No worries Clara," River patted her leg encouraging her to sit back down, "we're quite alright no need for any mushy coupley stuff."

"Speak for yourself," The Doctor muttered under his breath. He had wanted a little mushy moment. Sure he got annoyed whenever Amy and Rory had done that, well it wasn't as bad before he married River, but after he married River it was just awkward. In-laws, it was just plain weird.

"Clara," River looked at her, "was there any more of this that you wanted to see?"

"I don't think I could take it," she shrugged, "I know I die soon and I'd rather not witness that at all, if it can be helped. And we're in a time machine, so it can definitely be helped." She waited a good long minute before actually answering River's question, "can we go home? Well my home, I'd like you to meet the kids."

"Kids?"

"She's a governess," The Doctor rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Oh I see." River thought it was rather odd that both the now Clara and the past Clara were governesses, seemed a bit odd. "Well then," she stood up, "let's get to it then." She walked over to the control panel ready to plug in a date when The Doctor stopped her and grabbed her hand.

"River, please go lay down," he looked at her pleadingly.

"I can't sleep Doctor."

"You were earlier," he moved her hand away, "please, for me."

"I was in a coma for almost a year, how much sleep do you really think I need?"

"More than you've gotten."

"Okay..." Clara had stood up and was walking out of the room, "I'll just change and be back in a bit." She just knew something was probably gonna go down with those two once she left the room, she was almost certain it would have happened before she'd even stood up, she'd been pleasantly surprised that it didn't.

"Doctor," River hesitated, "there's something we really need to talk about..."

"Can it wait River?" He looked at her directly, "I really want you to try to get some sleep."

"It's important..."

"Everything is important River, you're not dying are you?"

"No..."

"Then it can wait."

"Doctor, how many children did you have in Gallifrey?"

He stopped what he was doing and stared at her intently. "Why?"

"I'm just asking, I know you had children there."

"I had five," he sighed, "but three of them died in infancy or as a toddler."

"Did she ever have any miscarriages?"

The Doctor dropped his hands at his sides and stared at River with his mouth agape, "why?"

"Please just answer me."

"Yes, two."

"Okay." River turned to walk from the room.

"Whoa!" He rushed over so he was standing in front of her, "whoa, whoa, whoa. You can't just ask something like that and then walk away."

"Wanna bet?"

"River..."

She half smiled at him and then walked around him to head up the stairs, "I'm going to go lay down, per request. Let me know when we've reached wherever it is that we are going. I'd like to meet these children."

"Right..." he looked down and then quickly looked back up, "River...is there something you're not telling me...I think you should..."

"Spoilers."

Before he could object any more she had left the room. Why had she asked about children? That didn't seem so unbelievable for a wife to ask her husband...but to ask about miscarriages...he didn't quite know why, but that worried him greatly. Had something happened to River? Where had those questions even come from? And would he ever get an answer?


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: Sorry guys..._

He would let River get away with not answering him for the time being, but there would come a time - and it would be soon - when she would have to explain her reference, and why she had asked that. He's let her think she wouldn't have to answer and then nonchalantly bring it up to her later, in such a way that would make her answer. _You're kidding yourself, right?_ He had to admit he could not get River Song to do anything she didn't want to do.

Clara came back to the console room. "Well," she began, "is River okay?"

"Why would you ask that?" He looked up at her hastily.

"Oh," she paused, "cause she's in the memory room...or whatever you want to call it."

He looked over to the stairwell.

"Spoilers, my ass." He bolted through the console room and weaved down hallways until he got to the door, the TARDIS groaned, and he opened the door. "Hey!" He kicked the wall. "What is your problem?" She groaned again. "Fine!" He slammed the door and huffed his way back to the console room. River was now standing by the scanner. "I thought..." he pointed back where he had come from and then shook it off.

"Hello Sweetie," she smiled faintly.

"River," he stopped beside her and folded his arms over his chest, "what is wrong?" He pulled the scanner away from River so that it was behind him now. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing Sweetie."

"Well I don't believe that."

"Can we please not talk about this now?" River looked almost as if she would lose all self-control again. The Doctor's heart sank. "Please," her voice was so quiet, that he could do and say nothing.

"Right," he scratched his face, "later then." He spun around to face Clara, so where would you like to go now. The TARDIS groaned.

"I take it she's got something in mind already?" she was looking at the ceiling, but pointing at River. The TARDIS gave a sort of ding like a bell noise. "Right, where River wants to go." She nodded and took a seat. "So where are we headed River?"

River glanced over at Clara, "spoilers..."

The Doctor wasn't liking the way that she was talking, but he had resolved to go wherever it was that River was wanting to go...whether he himself would want to be there or not, it didn't seem that he'd have much choice in the matter either.

River wasn't sure how she - or The Doctor, for that matter - were going to react to what happened next. She was worried, she didn't want to come face to face with this again and she didn't want him to go through it all. It had been so much easier to hide it from him before, but now, now it was going to be so much harder to keep it a secret than she thought it was worth.

She tried to come up with excuses about why this was a bad idea, about why this shouldn't happen, and she could come up with them, but there was always a reason why she couldn't follow through on them either. They were Time Travelers, it was easy to run away from things, to run away from pain and hurt, and the harsh realities of life. She didn't even have the heart to tell her parents, though now she was regretting that she hadn't. They deserved to know, they probably should have known, but she couldn't convince herself to pull them away from The Doctor long enough to tell them. She was also terrified that her mother would slip up and tell him what he didn't need to know. No that was wrong, he probably did need to know. He should know.

She knew that he wasn't going to like it - hell, she didn't like it - but it was a fact of their life. Dealing with all of this was going to be nothing compared to what she'd seen in the alley in Victorian London, true that had hurt her an excruciating amount, but knowing what this might do to The Doctor is what was already breaking her heart.

River would hide this from him as long as she could, she'd never want to give him false hopes, especially with everything he's been through lately. It wasn't going to be easy for either of them. She liked to think that since they had been breaking down walls in their relationship that this would be different, that they would handle this differently than they usually did when they encountered hard things...but she wasn't sure.

The Doctor was studying his's face, what was wrong? He knew his wife pretty well, he'd have liked to think that he would know what was going on. Why she seemed so utterly broken, had something else happened in the TARDIS that he didn't remember? It was possible. Time travel could be very fickle. Watching her face was heartbreaking, she hadn't looked at him since she'd said 'spoilers' earlier, and he didn't have the hearts to push her.

He didn't know where they were going, but not knowing how to emotionally prepare himself was making this all the harder. She had pulled the scanner back from him so that he couldn't see it, so whatever it was, it was something big. Something that she held onto the spoilers tighter than ever before. She was hiding something from him...but what? He couldn't work it out and trying to figure it out from her blank and pained expression was proving futile.

Clara wasn't sure what to feel. River's face was so grave, so expressionless and The Doctor hadn't taken his eyes off River for the past twenty minutes, and she'd never looked up to meet his gaze. He was hurting for her, and it was apparent. He didn't know what to do, occasionally Clara would see him attempt to step closer to River and then stop. They'd been standing in the same spots for a good long while now, even the TARDIS seemed unbelievably quiet, and she flew straighter than ever. Clara wasn't sure what was going on, but she had a feeling it might make what happened yesterday seem like a walk in the part, metaphorically speaking.

There was so much that Clara didn't know about the two of them, what she did know - at least notice - was how in tune they were. He could step forward and demand she tell him where they were going, but instead he was standing there, respecting whatever decision it was that she had made, and she had made it, more or less, silently. "Spoilers," seemed to shut him up. Why was that? How could one word have that much power over him? Why didn't he press her for more when she said that? There were so many questions that Clara had, but she could only imagine that The Doctor had many many more than even she did.

The TARDIS made her traditional stopping sound.

"We've landed," said River, barely above a whisper.

The Doctor nodded.

No one moved.

No one seemed to breathe at all.

There was an unannounced moment of silence.

After a few minutes, River took a _very_ deep breath and headed towards the doors. The Doctor and Clara followed behind her silently. Neither knew what to say, and they both knew that if something needed to be said, it would come from River.

"Okay..." River turned to face them, "this is what you could call my, dirty little secret..." without another word she pulled the doors open and stepped out.

"Paging Doctor Kent. Paging Doctor Kent."

The trio stepped out in to the lobby of a hospital. The Doctor wasn't sure where they were, and that was not common at all. It was rare that _he_ didn't know where they were. He didn't even know what time they were. Was River, not really River? Had he been fooled into thinking that she was real? What if she wasn't? He pushed that thought away with such force that he stumbled. He wasn't sure what to think, so of course, he thought of more than he needed to.

Clara, could feel that something was wrong. But she could no sooner find a word than she could explain what was going on. Watching The Doctor and River walk silently through the hallways as River led them here and there. Neither The Doctor or Clara knew where they were going, but they followed River without question.

As River took the lead in front of her husband and Clara she led them through the hospital, this was going to be so much harder than she thought it would be and she was not looking forward at all to what might follow. As they boarded a lift they could see many different species on the floors, following signs to where they were supposed to go. One floor, two floors...it was feeling like an eternity to her.

The lift opened and River led them out and turned immediately to the right and walked through a door that neither Clara or The Doctor had even noticed was there. Upon entering what looked like a waiting room, one of the nurses who caught sight of River came over to them.

"Doctor Song," she sighed, "it is so good to see you." She opened her arms and embraced River.

The Doctor and Clara shared a glance. There were many couples in this waiting room. As he began to examine their faces his hearts dropped, where had River brought them?

"Hello Mia," River released the nurse, "is Doctor Sans in today?"

"Of course," she nodded, "he's been very diligent I assure you. Would you like me to get him for you?"

"Yes, please," River encouraged.

Mia nodded and left the room.

"River..." it was Clara, "are you alright?"

River looked back at Clara, attempted at a smile that faltered almost immediately.

"River," came a male voice from across the room. He walked over and embraced River and held her tight. "We were hoping to see you soon." He stepped back from her and extended his hand to The Doctor, "Doctor, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The Doctor shook his hand and nodded. Nodding was all he could manage at the moment. His chest was already so heavy he thought it might crush his hearts.

"And you are?" Doctor Sans extended his hand to Clara.

"Clara Oswald," she shook his hand.

"Shall we go in?" Doctor Sans looked at River.

River nodded.

"Alright," he turned to face the door that was just a few feet ahead of them.

Upon entering the room River slowed down so that The Doctor could walk ahead of her, and instead she walked beside Clara.

Clara reached for River's hand, and River held it. Clara could see River's shoulders drop and tears were welling in her eyes.

They only had a few more feet to walk, The Doctor was slowing down, not two feet in front of him was a little NICU bed. It dawned on him why they were there, who was undoubtably in that bed, and more than likely why River had hid this from him. At the moment, he wasn't sure if he was glad that she had or not.

The Doctor stopped and pivoted to face River. There was a fierce intensity in both of their eyes. Clara would never be able to explain it to anyone. Letting go of River's hand - which The Doctor then took - she stepped around them. Her heart sank.

"First time seeing your daughter?" Doctor Sans was addressing The Doctor.

The Doctor nodded, unable to grasp his feelings, tears began streaming down his face.

River also began to cry, she had just shared her most intimate secret with him. Something she never wanted to subject him to if she could help it. The experience with The Silence had affected more than just her mother, but they had also affected the two of them. River and her daughter.

"What's her name?" Clara croaked. Tears were now forming in her eyes.

"Amelia," The Doctor said instinctively. What else would River have named their daughter?

River nodded, "yes," she hiccuped, "Amelia Rory Song."


	12. Chapter 12

"Would you like to know her progress report?" Doctor Sans looked at the couple.

Clara noticing that it was going to be almost impossible for The Doctor or River to say anything coherent, decided that she would be the spokesperson for this current endeavor, for however long they needed her to talk on their behalf.

"Yes," Clara nodded, "please."

The Doctor and River hesitantly made their way to the neonatal intensive care unit that held their daughter. The Doctor hadn't even adjusted to the idea what he _might_ be a father again, and now he was faced with this. He wasn't sure how River could have possibly kept this from him. Oh, he wasn't mad at her, not really, she had done what she thought was best...and maybe at the time it was, but he was glad to be in the loop now. He pulled River's hand up to his and kissed it as he laid his other hand on top of the unit.

"Well," Doctor Sans began, "her breathing has improved greatly, River."

The Doctor wasn't especially comfortable with the fact that this doctor was on first name terms with his wife. He knew he shouldn't be jealous, but there was a whole part of his life that he didn't know about that his wife had shared with someone else.

"Weight?" River croaked, "has she gained any weight?" She reached her free hand out to place it inside the glove, and she held her little girl's hand. It was so tiny, could she possibly have gained any weight since she was here last?

"Yes, actually."

"How much Greg?" River was a little more composed, but The Doctor shot a glance at 'Greg' because River was also on first name terms with him.

"A whole pound."

"Really?" River had perked up ever so slightly. "The other doctor didn't think she would gain any weight." She was hopeful.

"Yeah, we ran some other tests..."

River's eyes narrowed. "What tests?"

"Nothing to worry about, calm down."

"What tests Greg?" River's posture straightened up, ever so slightly.

"Just your basic," he moved his hands in front of him in a 'calm down' kind of manner, "nothing we haven't run before, promise."

The Doctor was watching the conversation with a ferocity that Clara had never seen before. She laughed inwardly, now was definitely not the time to laugh aloud, at his apparent show of jealousy. She thought it was cute.

"Anything else new?"

"We had a heart specialist come check out her hearts, they seem to be doing quite well."

"But-"

"Yes, they don't rely on each other near as much, which has been a relief." He pointed to the two nurses in the room, "we've had nurses on post consistently. So far, no one besides those of us in this room and Mia, know that she is here, let alone that she exists."

The Doctor looked from River to his daughters doctor, trying to read between the look.

"She's a Time Lord," River said catching her husbands evil eyeing Greg Sans, "remember what happened with me?"

"We're trying to keep that from happening to her."

"Madame Kovarian is still alive out there somewhere," River paused, during which The Doctor looked at her, "and there is no way she's going to lay a finger on her." She gasped and looked down at her hand.

"What?" The Doctor frantically looked at Amelia as the rest of those in the room rushed forward.

"River?" Clara and Greg said together.

River had tears in her eyes, "she grabbed my finger."

Everyone took a deep breath and stopped moving besides The Doctor who took his hand off of the top and placed it inside the other glove where he very gently put his hand on the baby's chest.

"Did you want to know anything else?"

"How many days have I been gone?"

"Our days or The Doctor's days?" he said jabbing a finger at The Doctor.

"Your."

"Three," he said matter-of-factly.

"She's made that much improvement in three days?" Clara sounded surprised.

"Yes," he nodded at the nurses to leave, "perhaps we should head out. Only family visiting right now, hospital policy."

River shook her head and releasing The Doctor's hand grabbed Clara's and pulled her over to her side. "Clara is family."

"Oh," he looked to River and then to Clara, "alright then. I will be back to do another check of her in about a half hour. You know my code," he pointed at the intercom on the wall, "buzz me if you need anything."

"Thank you Greg."

Dr. Greg Sans gave one more fleeting look at River before leaving the room.

"Family?" Clara couldn't keep it in any longer. "You'd consider me family?"

"Clara," River began, "you became family as soon as you jumped into his time stream."

Clara smiled at this. It was nice to know that she could have a family again, though she'd never have pictured it being with The Doctor, his wife and their infant child, but family was family and she was happy with that.

Letting go of Clara's hand River turned to face the bed again. The Doctor draped his arm around River's shoulders, and nodded at Clara to go to the other side of the baby's bed, so that she could get a better look.

Small, feeble, and very weak. Clara couldn't imagine how they must have been feeling at that moment, The Doctor especially since he had only just learned of her existence.

"How is she here River?"

River looked at her with an 'are you seriously asking that?' kind of look.

"I mean," she cleared her throat, "when was she born? It couldn't have been after the Library."

River shook her head, "it wasn't."

"When then?"

"Oh, well," she sighed, "before everything happened with my parents. I had debated telling them, but then I didn't think they could handle keeping such a big secret from him, and that scared me, so I just didn't tell them..." she paused, "kind of wished I had."

"_Before_ Manhattan?" The Doctor looked surprised.

"Yes, before Manhattan."

He shook his head, "time travel."

River nodded, "yes, Sweetie, time travel."

"You never told Amy and Rory?"

"Couldn't," she sighed, "should have...but couldn't."

Looking around the room The Doctor noticed _Greg_ standing over by the window looking in. A look of longing in his eyes that The Doctor didn't like that at all. Looking down at his daughter and then up to River he sighed, kissed River on the cheek and told her, "I'll be right back." He slowly pulled his hand out of the incubator, and turned to leave the room.

"Doctor," River had looked at him.

"Yes, dear?" he turned to face her.

"Could you bring us something back?"

He nodded, "of course." He looked at Clara, "hungry Clara?" She nodded. "Right, food, drinks, lotsa stuff."

River watched him walk away. He had handled that better than she would have ever given him credit for. Maybe she should have told him before, but the timing was never right, how was she supposed to tell him, _we have a baby, in a hospital, in the NICU_, there wasn't a manual for that kind of information dump, so she'd just left it.

As The Doctor made his way to the door he saw Doctor Sans turn to walk away. He opened the door and followed Sans.

"Doctor!" Sans turned around. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he hesitated as The Doctor came and stood in front of him, "why would you say that?"

"Because you said you were leaving, and then you stood at the window." He started moving his hands around as he was talking, "I might be wrong," pause, "but that's not what leaving looks like." He pointed to the window. "Now..." he cleared his throat, "I may be wrong, but, it seems like you might have a thing for River," his arms were still flailing around in front of him now, "that's just not okay." Shaking his head he continued, "sure, I didn't know about her until now, but that woman is still my wife and that baby, is still my daughter."

Sans was nodding. The Doctor was right. He was interested in River Song. He'd spent countless hours with her over the past few months - three to be exact - in that room with her daughter. He'd known River was married to The Doctor, but since he hadn't ever seen him, he'd selfishly begun to think there was hope that her marriage was falling apart, and he was okay with that; he'd be there for her for that just like he'd been so far for this...but then today happened. She had finally brought The Doctor. Why had she done that? There was no proof that Amelia would pull through, so why did she choose now to show her to him?

"I just don't like the way that you're looking at her," The Doctor had kept talking and Sans had gotten lost in his own train of thought, he wasn't sure where The Doctor was at in his 'hands and eyes off my wife' speech. "I realize she is absolutely amazing. I've known that for years." He gave a sort of side head tilt, "didn't always appreciate it - yeah those were the days - but nevertheless, she's my wife, and there are several things wrong with the way that you were looking at her. Let's keep this professional. You're my daughters doctor and I am greatly indebted to you for that, but that debt is not covered by River." He looked around the room before getting in Sans' face, "I've defeated planets, you would be no different, and I will fight to my last breath for the women and my daughter in that room. Don't test me. That never ends well."

Sans nodded, he was sure that when pushed that mans vengeance and retaliation would not be pleasant at all. He cared about River and her little girl, but the ferocity with which this man was looking at him caused him a lot of uneasiness. He would be their doctor, if for no one else for River...but that didn't mean that he wouldn't try. As far as he was concerned, River was fair game.


	13. Chapter 13

After grabbing some food and drinks The Doctor made his way back to the room. He was hoping that Sans would take a hint and back off, but with the _way_ he had been looking at River, he thought that unlikely..._and_ he was Amelia's doctor, so they were going to have to see each other more often. The Doctor, however, was ready to stand up and defend his family and marriage if he absolutely had to - he hoped he didn't, but if he had to - he'd do it in a heartbeat.

He opened the door to reveal that Sans was over by the incubator, and had pulled it open and was listening to Amelia's hearts and was talking to River. Clara had taken a seat on the other side of the incubator to keep an eye on the baby from that side. She didn't trust Sans and she was certain that The Doctor didn't either, but she couldn't place a word or feeling on why that way, but she was very wary of this Greg Sans.

River looked over to The Doctor as he set the food and drinks on a tray and waved him over to her. Pride soared in his hearts as he thought about what that might be doing to Sans at that exact moment. Sans didn't seem to take the hint, but The Doctor wasn't going to take his blatant disregard as anything he couldn't handle.

"Hello Sweetie," River smiled at him.

The Doctor walked over to River and stopped at her side and laced his fingers through hers, River thought it was odd for him to do that, but she wasn't going to complain. Whatever happened next in their lives wasn't going to be easy, and would definitely be a long time coming, but knowing he was there with her from now on brought her more comfort than she could ever hope to express in words.

"How is she?" The Doctor asked looking at River.

"She seems to be improving," she smiled at him, "I think she just wanted her daddy."

_Daddy_, The Doctor thought about that. Daddy. He hadn't even thought of what that might look like opposite River, he _still_ wasn't sure what it would look like, but the hopes for tomorrow were growing with every positive thing that they'd heard about Amelia's health.

"Doctor Sans," The Doctor began somewhat vehemently, causing River's head to whip in her husbands direction and Clara to straighten in her seat, "what can my wife and I do to help our little girl better?"

"Um," Sans looked at The Doctor and then River.

"Hey, I'm the one talking to you, not her."

"Doctor," came River's voice through clenched teeth, "what the hell are you doing?"

He shook his head and waved her off, "any suggestions?"

"Uh," he paused again, this time making sure not to look at River, "attention. She needs a lot of attention."

The Doctor nodded, "sounds good." He looked over to River, "I am going to go move the TARDIS to this room, would you like to come?"

"I'd rather stay here with her," she hesitated, "if that's alright with you."

The Doctor smiled at River, "perfectly fine dear." He gave a _very_ stern look to Sans and then turned and left the room. He hadn't wanted to leave them, but he figured it made sense that River would want to stay there, and after all, the TARDIS really wasn't that far away. He could live being separated from them for a few moments. Leaving River there with Sans in the room, was not an easy decision to make either, he was ready to rip that mans head off and roll it down the hall if he kept up the way he was going.

As The Doctor left the room River looked at Clara who gave a 'I have no idea' look and a shrug of the shoulders. River could tell that something was up with him, and whatever it was that _something_ had to do with Greg Sans. She assumed it was probably stupid and unwarranted, but she figured she'd bait him just incase. The Doctor could be as insecure in their relationship as Rory had been of his and Amy's from time to time, they were always stupid, but they were also, always there. Deciding she was going to try to get to the bottom of this she looked over to Clara.

"Could you go check and make sure no one specious is out in the waiting room?" She gave a head tilt that Clara immediately understood. "I'm just a little bit paranoid at the moment."

"Of course River," Clara said as she stood and walked from the room.

"River," Sans began, "please tell me that was encouragement?" He had the strangest look of longing in his eyes.

"No..." she sighed, of course The Doctor had good reasons for the way he acted, and now she knew why.

"But you had her leave so we could have a moment to ourselves-"

"No," River was a little more firm and a little more reserved this time.

"I know," he stepped closer to her, "that you're married to The Doctor, but can you really be happy with that? All that time travel? All that time spent apart." He stepped forward again. "There must be something there for you too, I know there certainly is for me." He took another step closer.

River's mind was racing so much that she didn't know what to do, should she slap him? Should she punch him? Should she let him continue advancing on her? What should she do? She didn't know. River Song didn't know what to do. She'd never really had to worry about anyone coming on to her, she'd spent most of her time in Stormcage, and she'd never had to worry about the guards there at all, but his was causing a lot of uneasiness. She looked down at her daughter hoping for some unspoken answer, but she knew that wouldn't happen...and she didn't speak baby.

"River," he took two more steps towards her.

"Stop," she put her hand out in front oh her, and he walked into it so that her hand was on his chest, "please just stop." He took another step forward.

The next thing River knew was that Greg had pulled her in for a kiss. Her mind was frantic, where was The Doctor? Why had he left her if he'd had such concerns about this doctor? When in heaven's name would he be back? What was she supposed to do? River shoved him away from her, just as The Doctor came in and pushed him farther still.

"I told you already," he was shaking now in anger, "don't test me."

River reached forward and put her arms around The Doctor. She didn't want him to doubt her feelings for him at all, she'd've been heartbroken if for any amount in time, however small, that he was worried she didn't care for him.

River was standing behind him so her arms were on his chest, he knew better than to doubt how she felt. He knew she loved him, and he knew she loved him a great deal. She had given up so much for him, and to be with him, he'd never doubt her feelings on that, but the fact that Greg had not only completely disregarded his threat _and_ had made a move on River was enough to drive his anger through the roof.

"I told you dammit!" He tried to move forward but River's grip tightened around his torso, "don't test me! That most certainly included 'don't make a move on my wife'!"

River was patting his chest now, he needed to calm down and she knew that. Just as The Doctor was about to tell Sans off again Amelia let out a loud shriek. River's knees collapsed and The Doctor had to spin around incredibly fast in order to catch her.

"River!" The Doctor exclaimed as he caught her, "what is it? What's wrong?" He was terrified that something would be wrong with either of them. Clara rushed back in at that time, she had hear Amelia's crying.

"Oh..." tears filled her eyes, "she cried." She reached her hand up and stroked his face, "she cried."

"Well," he pulled her back up to her feet and wiped the tears away, "that makes two of you."

"No," she tugged at his bowtie, "that's the first time she's done that since she was born."

It finally dawned on him that his daughters health had been worse - much worse - than he'd originally believed. She'd never cried? How was that possible? Didn't all babies cry when they were born?

River spun around to face Sans, "how is she doing that?"

Sans stepped forward with a great amount of trepedation, "her lungs must be improving." He stepped up close to the incubator, but on the opposite side that River and The Doctor were now standing on. Amelia continued to cry for the next five minutes.

"Greg," River hesitated, "can I hold her?"

"I suppose so..." he opened the incubator up and as he went to pull Amelia out to hand her to River she shoved his hand away, "uh-huh," she reached down and pulled her daughter out, "no one is going to hold her before I can." She noticed The Doctor's puzzled expression, "they took her away immediately after she was born, I haven't held her till now."

The Doctor extended his hand and stroked Amelia's head with his thumb. She was so small, but she was his. He'd never thought he'd have any other children, but this woman is what made the difference. He loved River, deeply, passionately...so this baby meant more to him than anything else in the world, than any other child of his that he had ever held. He would let River hold on to her for now, but he was certain he was going to be next in line to hold her, of that he would make sure.

River couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Her daughter was crying...where most parents would prefer they didn't, here she stood with Amelia in her arms, her daughter was precious. She wished that her parents could be there for that, and as she thought about them she let out a little laugh.

"What?" The Doctor asked looking down into her eyes.

"My mother named me..." she smiled, "after myself. And I named her after my mother, irony surrounds our entire family."

"Yes, River," he nodded as a smile crossed his face, "I suppose it does."


	14. Chapter 14

The next few days were fraught with uncertainty. Amelia would take one step forward in her road to getting better and then take two steps back. She cried now, mostly if The Doctor or River left the room, the only time that they had been able to leave the room was if Clara was holding onto her. That little baby had formed such a tight attachment to all of them. She was never happy for Sans. The other nurses could hold her and she'd coo and lay there calmly, but as soon as Sans held her she would scream bloody murder. It was clear that she was perceptive and could feel the tension in the room whenever he was there, because that was when she would cry the most. The Doctor took a little bit of pride in that, but then he could speak baby, so he always knew what she was saying.

"You guys should get out for a little," Clara was insisting as she held baby Amelia, "I've got her, don't worry."

The Doctor sighed and was shaking his head, "I don't know that that is a good idea Clara."

"Oh come on," she emphasized the 'come on' and glanced at Amelia then back up to The Doctor, "you deserve to get out for a bit."

"Well..." River began and shrugged at The Doctor. Clara was right, they probably should get out, they needed a little adventure in their lives. This much inactivity was stifling to both of them, but leaving seemed impossible, oh yes, they'd thought about it before, almost accomplished it once or twice, but they just could not follow through on it.

"We'll be fine," Clara insisted again. She looked down at Amelia, her green eyes were undeniable and her hair which was a bit strawberry blonde for the time being which would probably end up either blonde like her mothers or red. She was so tiny, Clara wasn't as afraid to hold her as she originally was. That first time that River placed the frail Amelia in her arms she was worried beyond expression that she would hurt or drop her. She'd managed to do alright that time and since then it was hard for her to not hold her, if and when she was given that opportunity.

The Doctor and River had taken to sleeping in a reclining chair every night instead of their bedroom in the TARDIS so that they would be there if something ever were to happen, and with the potential threat of Madame Kovarian none could be too careful. The Doctor had already lost one baby to that woman - though he wasn't as upset about that, given the fact that the baby in question had been Melody Pond, and River Song as fate would have it - and he wasn't going to let that happen again. He now understood why Amy had been so frantic to get River back, but even she had come to terms with their circumstances, and had accepted the fact that she would never be able to raise her daughter, despite the fact that Mels was really River.

River was just as paranoid as The Doctor of anything happening to Amelia. She was terrified that her daughter might have to go through what she did. She knew how Kovarian thought, and she knew almost certainly that is she discovered that Melody Pond and The Doctor were married, let alone, had a child, acquiring that child would be on the top of her to do list.

There was never a moment where River wasn't worried about that, and The Doctor was worried about it to some extent too, but not quite the extent at which plagued River with the inability to sleep. Kovarian had The Silence, she knew how they worked, and she knew that if she were to fall asleep for any reason and they infiltrated the hospital and their unregistered wing that there was nothing that could stop them from taking Amelia.

River was glad that The Doctor now knew about their daughter, but to tell him that her level of terror over Kovarian finding them was through the roof, that he would lose what sanity he had at the time being, because of his need to protect. Yes, she loved how protective he was, it was nice to feel loved and taken care of, but to what end knowing that information would do to him, she did not know, and didn't want to tip the scale even a little bit to find out.

Raising a child with The Doctor was going to be difficult. She'd never planned on having any, she didn't think she deserved any, but here she was, looking at Clara who held her daughter and she could not imagine life without her. Yes, her presence had definitely brought a world of drama into their lives, but nothing she couldn't handle.

Watching The Doctor with their daughter River couldn't ever understand why she hadn't wanted this before. She never really had her mother. It was because of her that her parents even got together, to think how much different her life would be...no, she wouldn't be alive. She thought about that, if anyone else had gone through what she had, would he actually have died. Had he died in some alternate reality where River wasn't the baby in question? River had fallen in love with this man, and no, their relationship had never been easy, and it most definitely got harder when she had "died" but even though it brought them both a great deal of heartache they could not picture their lives without the other.

Amelia was seventy-five percent Time Lord - Lady - and she had the possibility of regeneration, as River thought about this, she realized that she could die, for real. Her husband and their daughter could regenerate, she could not. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes in a way it had never done before. She had given all her regenerations to save him, she'd never regretted it, but in that moment, she did a little.

"Is something wrong River?" The Doctor had noticed the look on her face, "are you alright?"

She smiled, "of course Sweetie."

He didn't believe her, but for the time being he would let her be. He couldn't understand what that woman was thinking, he knew her so well, but he could not get over the fact that she knew him so much better than he knew her. That had never bothered him until this moment.

_Is momma alright?_ The Doctor looked at his daughter.

"Don't you worry about anything angel," he smiled in the baby's direction.

"What did she ask?" Clara looked to The Doctor and River did as well.

"Oh nothing."

_Ask her, please._ He sighed.

"Okay," River started placing her hands on her hips, "what is it?"

"She want's to know if you're...alright."

River glanced over at her daughter still in Clara's arms, "of course I am."

_Rule one._

He laughed, "she doesn't believe you."

"Well that's just dandy..." River stomped over to The Doctor and slapped him.

_Sorry poppa._

He laughed again, "she just apologized for that slap."

"I _hate_ that you speak baby," River huffed and stormed out of the room.

_Was it something I said?_

He walked over to Clara and lifting his daughter from her arms he pointed his finger down at her which she grabbed, "of course not darling," he looked up and out the room window, "momma just likes slapping me."

"I can tell..." Clara stood up, "I heard it." She looked out the window, "should I go check on River?"

"Nah," he shook his head, "she'll be fine."

_You're lying._

"I am not."

_Rule one._

"I'm gonna kill your mother for telling you that one."

_So I'm right?_

"Of course you're not right," he stammered, "why would you be right?"

Amelia looked up into his eyes, _I don't believe you._

"Oh, I can't wait till you're a teenager and can actually talk," he shook his head, "we're gonna butt heads so much. We're gonna drive your mother crazy."

_Is momma alright?_

"She'll be fine."

_Are you sure?_

"What? You don't believe me?"

_Nope._

"Oh this is fun," he sighed, "you and your mother will be an unyeilding force in the future, and I'm going to be more frustrated than ever."

_Do you wish I wasn't here?_

"Of course not!" He rocked her back and forth, "I can't imagine what my life would be like without you in it...granted I didn't know you were in it till recently, but still, couldn't imagine my life without you."

_Momma's worried about me, isn't she?_

"Yes," he nodded, "I suppose she is."

_I'm not gonna die, I'm just a little sick._

"Of course you won't die!" River was now entering the room.

"What are you two talking about?" She walked over to them.

"I don't know," Clara began, "but it's very confusing one-sided."

River shook her head and rolled her eyes, "tell me about it."

_She's not in a good mood today, is she?_

"Nope, you are very right Amelia Song." He smiled down at her. He was loving that he could talk to her and no one else could, to the annoyance of the others.

_Why can't momma hear me?_

"She's not cool enough." He used one hand to straighten his bowtie.

_Why do you wear that? It's ugly._

"No it's not," he straightened it again for emphasis, "bowties are cool." He shook his head up and looked at River. "One of the first things you said to me as a baby."

"Well I was very smart then, wasn't I?" River's smile broadened.

_Yes._ Amelia smiled.

"Hey, not yet! She can't even hear you and you're ganging up on me."

River's smile disappeared immediately as soon as she looked up. There, not three feet away, was Madame Kovarian.

"Hello, Melody Pond."


	15. Chapter 15

The Doctor still holding Amelia backed into River, who had also rushed forward grabbing his arm. Clara had heard little about her, but with the reactions that The Doctor and River had she converged with them around Amelia. River was shaking and The Doctor was glaring over at Kovarian and the two Silence's that stood on either side of her.

"River..." The Doctor held his daughter a little tighter as he glanced at his wife.

"Madame Kovarian..." River croaked.

"So nice to see you again."

"Wish we could say the same," The Doctor retorted, "can't, wouldn't mean it."

"That's too bad," Kovarian smirked, "because we've missed you ever so much."

"I have no intention of going anywhere with you," River spat back at her.

"Oh Melody," she shook her head, "you know how we work."

The Doctor carefully held Amelia to the side so he could get his sonic out of his pocket and then pulled her back close to him again. Madame Kovarian didn't look threatened or deterred at all. She had come on a mission and it seemed that she would not leave until she had accomplished it. Just then the door to the room opened and in walked Sans, with a maniacal grin on his face.

"Madame Kovarian," he walked towards her, leaving Clara, River and The Doctor aghast. "So good to see you."

"I trust you've taken good care of her?"

"Oh yes," he nodded standing in front of her, "she's doing quite well."

"As in, not well at all?" Kovarian's grin spread across her face like fire.

"Yes, indeed."

"What the hell?" River yelled startling Clara and Amelia, The Doctor however was waiting for this and didn't flinch at all.

Madame Kovarian simply smiled at the group. She had arranged with Greg Sans to keep Amelia from fully recovering until she needed her. Knowing that both of her parents were now consistently in her life, she moved her plan ahead. She had taken Melody Pond - half Time Lord, half human - away from her parents because she was only half Time Lord, and look at where that had gotten her, Melody Pond had married The Doctor, _but_ the daughter of Melody Pond and The Doctor - who was a complete Time Lord - well, that was just something she couldn't pass up.

"What the hell did you do to my baby?" River had stepped to the side of The Doctor and was ready to charge Sans when The Doctor gasped and jumped in front of her.

"River," he looked at her frantically, "please, don't."

"Oh," Kovarian gave a sarcastic pout face, "him indoors telling you what to do?" She shook her head, "we never raised you to be this _Melody Pond_. You were supposed to kill him, not fall in love with him, certainly not marry him, and _especially_ not have his children."

"Um," The Doctor interjected, "I don't know if you can count," he pointed the sonic down at Amelia, "but there's only one."

"It's less to miss then, isn't it _Doctor_?"

"Don't even think about it!" Clara jumped in front of The Doctor who was still holding Amelia in his arm. The Doctor gasped again and pulled Clara back by River with the hand that was still holding his sonic screwdriver.

"TARDIS, yes?" He nodded in the direction that they had parked the TARDIS. They had it on invisible just in case. River nodded and then threw her arms out to take Amelia from him. "What I'm not capable?"

"Doctor! We don't have time for this," she thrust her arms out at him again, "and you always run into the bloody thing when it's invisible." He gasped in shock.

"I do not!"

"Doctor!" Clara was glaring at him.

"Oh, alright, fine." He handed Amelia over to River. "Ready to run?" The women nodded. With a snap of his fingers the doors to the TARDIS burst open and the trio made a b-line for the doors. "Clara, doors, yeah?" he hollered back at her as he rushed to the console, "River, crib, yes?" River had already turned and left the room with the baby still held tightly in her arms. Madame Kovarian had something coming to her, if she thought that The Doctor and River wouldn't do whatever was in their power to keep Amelia safe.

After returning from the memory room she now had the crib with baby Amelia nestled inside it fast asleep. River walked up to where The Doctor was and gently laid the crib down on the ground right between the two of them. They were never letting their baby out of their sight again. Then she collapsed onto the ground in a fit of sobs.

"River!" The Doctor knelt down by her reaching his hands out to her, not quite sure where to put them, she pushed them away.

"Oh for goodness sake's," Clara was now coming around the console to where they were, "let the man hold you." She stared down at River, "we both know he's awkward, but if he's offering to hold you, don't push him away."

River was looking up at Clara, well trying to look up at Clara, she had been crying so hysterically that she could not see anything, she could hardly see The Doctor. She couldn't believe just how much she'd been through in a month. Why were things never easy for them? Why couldn't they have one moment of peace? As she felt The Doctors hands grasp her shoulders she flung her arms up around his neck. She hated being vulnerable, but for right now, she was okay with it. They still had Amelia and that was what mattered.

After a bit more crying River fell fast asleep, he caught Clara's eye and motioned for her to pick up the crib. He stood pulling River up into his arms, with Clara right behind him with the crib he walked River to their room and laid her on the bed. Clara followed behind and placed the crib directly beside River, she knew that if Amelia was _anywhere_ else when she woke up River would have her hide. The Doctor picked up the blanket at the end of the bed and covered River with it, she deserved to get some rest, they had all been through a lot today, but he knew to some degree what had just happened to them would have affected her worse than it did him, he didn't just think that, he knew it.

The Doctor nodded at Clara and they walked towards the door, The Doctor only stopping briefly to kiss both his daughter and his wife on the forehead and then he followed Clara back out to the console room. The walk back had been silent, but he knew as soon as him and Clara were back she would want to know as much about Madame Kovarian as possible, sure he probably should have told her, but like River was famous for saying, "never the right time..." well no, there probably was, he'd just avoided the topic. He had avoided a lot of things with Clara, not because he didn't trust her, but because he didn't want to talk about them, he'd barely been able to mention River as "Professor Song." That day that Clara had said her name, it was like a wound had been opened, and as if salt had been poured in it generously. He no longer could hide behind River's title, so he'd given up. He'd called her River, and it gutted him every time that he had to say her name.

He felt bad for crying in front of Clara, but he really didn't know what else to do. He'd done so good at hiding from his pain, but then when Clara mentioned a "River Song" at the conference call, and it was as if all of his self-control was wretched from his body. He had no control over it, he only managed to get himself together because Clara was there, if she hadn't been he was almost certain that he would have continued to cry, and for how long, he knew not.

"Doctor..." it had begun. "Who was that? Madame Ko-"

"Kovarian," he finished it for her, "long story short?"

"Whatever works best for you."

"Well then," he took a step back from the console, "River, yeah?" Clara nodded. "Daughter of Amy and Rory Pond-"

"Williams."

"Pond, oi! Who's telling this story?"

"Sorry..."

"Daughter of Amy and Rory Pond, she was...uh...she started, on the TARDIS so she was exposed to the time vortex, then Amy was kidnapped, then we kept traveling with her ganger and then we encountered the Silence with older River and we saw younger River, after middle-uh, ish, River tried to kill me, then we got married in an alternative universe - still counts though - doesn't matter where if its a Gallifreyan ceremony - which it was - anyways..." he sucked in a deep breath before continuing, "then I sonic-d the fake Amy and then we found the real Amy who had already had baby Melody - baby River - who was then taken by Kovarian -"

"This is the short version?" He pushed two fingers to her lips.

"Shh," he pulled them away, "then Kovarian fooled us by giving us ganger baby who obviously wasn't real - then she took real baby to America, somewhere, never really figured out where, and raised her for one purpose to ki-"

"Kill The Doctor." River had come back with baby Amelia in her arms. The Doctor turned to look at her and put his hands on his hips.

"Don't you _ever_ sleep?"

"I can't."

"You _just _did."

"Well, now I can't."

"Try River, just _try_ to get some sleep-"

"Doctor," she shushed him right up by the look in her eyes, "I can't close my eyes without dreaming that Kovarian has taken her from us. I just can't."

"River..."

"I can watch it out here," Clara began as they turned to face her, "she's let me fly her now, you both could probably use some sleep."

"What about you, Clara?" The Doctor questioned her.

"I'm fine," she waved them away, "really I've been sleeping in the TARDIS while you guys have been cramming on a recliner, just go get some sleep. We're alright out here." The TARDIS groaned, "see?" She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on the console. "Not get."

"I will not be told what to do in my own ship!"

"Come on Doctor," River tugged at his tweed jacket, "let's go get some sleep."

"Fine..." he grumbled and turned to walk after her.

As The Doctor and River made their way from the console room the TARDIS Voice Interface came on, _this is a voice interface,_ Clara looked at the image of a blonde girl that had just popped up.

"Okay..."

"Doctor?" the interface spoke. "Doctor?" The voice almost sounded frantic.

"Who are you?"

"It's Rose, Doctor, Rose Tyler."


	16. Chapter 16

_Note to reader: This chapter moves really fast and I apologize. I put Rose in before I really knew what to do with her, and then couldn't think of something and tried to hurriedly write her out, so ahead of time, I am sorry for the briskness of this chapter._

The Doctor darted back into the console, "Rose Tyler?" He seemed flustered.

"What?" River was at his heels, still holding baby Amelia. "Did that just say 'Rose Tyler'?"

"Um," he looked over his shoulder at River, "yeah," he looked over to Clara, "I think it did..." He waltzed over to where Clara was standing and looked at the voice interface with just as much confusion as Clara. River had come up behind them, The Doctor could tell she was annoyed, she didn't even need to say it, it was like she emanated annoyance whenever she had it.

"Rose," River said with clenched teeth, "Tyler." She was making a statement and one she was not at all thrilled about.

"Doctor," the figure of Rose said again, "Doctor are you there?"

"Um..." he hesitated then shivered, he would deal with River's hormones later. "Yes Rose, I'm here."

"Doctor we need you."

"Who is 'we'?" he stared back at the image.

"The Doctor and I - well he goes by John Smith now," she tilted her head to the side, "Doctor we really need you, please come."

"Where to?"

River cleared her throat extra loudly.

"The TARDIS should have just gotten the coordinates," she looked around, "please, please hurry." And with that her image disappeared.

"Right," he spun around and started flipping switches and pushing buttons.

"Doctor..." River was bouncing around with Amelia instinctively. "We're not really going there are we?"

"She called for help, didn't she?" He spun around, saw River's face and immediately walked over to the keyboard and pulling the console over he put in the coordinates.

"Who is Rose Tyler?" Clara wondered aloud.

"Um," he looked at Clara, then River and then Clara again, "long story."

The Doctor continued punching buttons and referencing the scanner. He didn't know what was going to happen, but the way that Rose was pleading for his help...he couldn't turn that down. His need for saving people was unbelievable.

River was more irritated than she would ever say, though she was certain he knew how irritated she was, he'd just chosen to ignore that, much like he'd ignored her for so long that night at Trenzalore. Why did he always feel the need to save people? What if it were Martha or Donna calling to him, would he jump to help them as fast as he was Rose?

"River," The Doctor said looking at her face, "we are _not_ getting into this right now."

"If not now, then when?"

"Um," he looked back at the scanner, "later. We're here."

"Of course we are..."

Just then there was a massive pounding on the door. The Doctor rushed over and wretched the door open, and in rushed Rose and the Donna/Doctor clone.

"Wow..." Rose was looking around the TARDIS, "it's changed."

"It always changes Rose," he smiled.

Amelia began to fuss and The Doctor looked up to River.

"Doctor?" Rose was staring at the woman holding the baby. Who was she?

"Right," he slammed the doors shut and ran back over to the console.

"Doctor..." Rose and the other Doctor came up so that they were around the console as well. "Who is she?" She pointed at River, The Doctor then glanced at River and back to Rose.

"That's River Song."

"Who's River Song?"

"His wife," she interjected.

"Wife?" Rose looked over at The Doctor. "You got married?"

"Um," he looked at River, "well, yes actually."

"I'm..." Rose was a bit flustered, "but..." she looked at her personal Doctor, "I just never thought..." she sighed, "you'd find anyone else."

River scoffed at Rose's comment. To which Rose looked at her.

The Doctor began to look between River and Rose frantically, he'd never actually thought about how these two women would interact, didn't think he needed to worry about it because he never thought it would happen.

"The baby?" Rose pointed to the baby in River's arms and looked at The Doctor.

"Well," he looked at River, "she's ours. Mine and River's."

"You have kids?" Rose was a bit caught off guard because of this. Yes she loved the Doctor that she had now, and they even had children, but knowing The Doctor had one as well wasn't something she had expected.

"Well, just the one." He pulled the scanner over, "it's a bit complicated."

"That's an understatement," Clara finally spoke up.

"Who are you?" asked the newly ascertained Doctor.

"Clara Oswald."

"Well," Rose looked at The Doctor, "you've been busy since you left me on that beach."

"In my defense it has been over 300 years since I saw you, how longs it been for you?"

"Ten years."

Ah, he's figured it had been awhile, but he had done what was best for Rose. He could never truly love her, he did have strong feelings for her, but she was human, so he never solidified any real emotional attachment. Sure, saying goodbye to Rose had been hard, but there was a reason for everything; and in this case he was inclined to think that reason was because of River.

He loved that woman - still couldn't get those words out - but he loved her, and she knew he did, and for now that was all she should have expected of him. He loved his daughter unconditionally and would never let anything happen to her. Not Kovarian, not anyone. There would be hell to pay if anyone tried to take her away from them. And the next time Kovarian would try - and he assumed she probably would at some point - he was hell bent on killing her if that was necessary.

"So," he cleared his throat. "Where can I take you?" He leaned on the console and looked at the other Doctor and Rose; then he pointed at the other Doctor, "do you still go by Doctor?"

"No," the other Doctor began, "I go by John Smith."

The Doctor nodded, it would make sense, that was always his go to name and because this other version was part of him of course he would have used the same name. So why had that surprised him? He was excessively happy for Rose, he wasn't at all bitter or resentful, or even mad that they had been separated. It was all for the best.

"Doctor," John began, "did you regenerate then?"

"Yep," he smiled, "geronimo."

"Geronimo?" John questioned.

"Yeah."

"Bowtie?" John pointed at his neck where a bowtie would be.

"Bowtie's are cool," The Doctor straightened his tie. Then he looked over to Rose, "so where do you need to go?"

After Rose gave the directions the group quieted down a lot, occasionally things were said here or there, but River had not taken her eyes off of Rose since she entered the TARDIS, something which had finally gotten to The Doctor.

He stood up walked right up to River, pulled her face up and kissed her. Pulling away he looked at her, "now stop with that face. I don't like that face."

"Nonsense, you love this face."

"Yeah, well, maybe I do."

"There'll never be another one," she smiled, "you got stuck with this one."

"River..."

She knew how touchy he was over the fact that she _saved his life_, losing all her regenerations in the process, but that was not something that she had ever regretted. She'd never try to kill him again, but if she had to go back, she wouldn't have tried to kill him, but that's all wibbly wobbly, and she really couldn't go back to change those events.

That had been the only time that The Doctor _said_ he loved her, and he wasn't even talking directly to her, oh she knew he was once she found out that _she_ was River Song. Everything after that just seemed to fade away in the light that he was The Doctor and in that moment she loved him.

"Doctor?" Rose questioned. "You love her don't you?"

"I married her didn't I?"

"You married Cossette but that didn't matter," Rose pointed out, "you never loved her."

"Well I suppose not." He looked over at River and then pointed both of his fingers at her, "did you not just see that? Do I need to repeat that?"

"Please do," River was teasing him now.

Amelia started to stir. _Don't start anything you're not prepared to finish._

"Hey..." he looked over at Amelia, "your eyes are still shut, and you don't even seem very awake."

"What?" Rose looked at him perplexed.

"He speaks baby," River informed her.

"No one speaks baby." Rose stated rather than suggested.

"Well, that's not entirely true, because I do." He reached down to pick Amelia up and River reluctantly released her. "She is my world. Didn't even know she existed until late, but I wouldn't change it for the whole universe and all the stars therein."

"Well, that's sweet." Rose smiled up at him, as River stood up. "We have two kids as well."

"We're here," The Doctor interrupted.

"Oh," Rose looked at him and then over to John, "well then." She and John both walked to the doors. "It was nice, thanks for saving us back there."

"Anytime," he said and then shook his hands in front of him, "not anytime, I never know what's going on and sometimes I'm just busy, and sometimes I take a day off."

"Yeah," we know. Rose pulled the doors open, "until next time Doctor."

"Goodbye Rose."

As Rose shut the doors The Doctor turned to face River, "you are ridiculous."

"I am not!"

"'Well, yes actually'? What does that mean?"

"Oh shut up," he pulled her over and landed a big kiss on her lips.

"Eww," Clara put her index fingers up looking at them as she crossed them into an x, "gross, kissing, ucky."

The Doctor stopped and looked at Clara, smiled and then walked over to the doors.

"Doctor, where are we exactly?" Clara asked.

"Oh, you know...an alternate reality. Alternate realities are cool, wanna check this one out?"

"I don't know..." Clara began.

"I think we've had enough action for now."

Just then a loud crack sounded in the TARDIS and there not 10 feet away from them stood Amy and Rory Pond.

The Doctor swallowed hard, "Ponds..." River looked at him. Neither knew what to say, and temporarily they forgot about Amelia. They'd seen them die, so how were they even here? He would get to the bottom of this right away.


	17. Chapter 17

"Doctor?" Amy was staring at them.

"River," Rory stated.

The Doctor and River looked at each other, neither quite sure what had happened. They definitely weren't in 1938 and weren't Amy and Rory stuck there? How could they have _possibly_ been there, in the TARDIS. Neither knew what to say and continued staring at Amy and Rory instead. Clara was sitting silently to the side trying - by herself - to assess the situation, and decided it wasn't making any more sense to her than it was to the other four in the room.

"What the-" Rory began.

"How?" Amy interrupted looking back and forth between River and The Doctor, hoping one of them would have the answer, not that she was complaining.

River lightly smacked The Doctor's arm since he was still holding little Amelia, "_how_ are they _here_?"

"I don't _know_..." The Doctor and River maintained eye contact.

"It doesn't make any sense," River insisted.

"Well, obviously not."

"We saw them go, their names were on that headstone."

"River," he sighed, "I know I was there."

"Doctor, explain," her eyes pleading with him.

"I don't know River," he sighed, "if I did I would tell you."

"Oi!" It was Amy. "We'd like to know what's going on too."

"Yeah..." Rory slowly added since Amy had taken what he was going to say, not like that wasn't common.

"How did we get here, Doctor?"

"I - I - I _don't_ know," he gulped, "Amy Pond..." he looked back at River who opened her eyes wide in a 'what the hell is going on here' kind of way. He only knew that's what it meant 'cause she'd told him when he was "too stupid to understand it." He hadn't liked that very much at all.

"Doctor you always know," Amy said walking towards the console with Rory on her heels, though when they got to the stairs she froze, causing Rory to run into her.

"Amy!"

"Rory..." she pointed at the baby and then folded her arms across her chest, "is there something you need to tell us?"

"What?" The Doctor said looking at them guiltily. He'd never thought about how this scene would play out, though he was having to force himself lately, to not give in to all the "endings" he'd thought he'd seen.

"Who's that?" Amy leaned forward.

"That's River," he turned and walked away, but Amy followed him.

"No," she was right behind him, "I know that's River." She hopped around in front of him, "I meant, who's this?" she pointed down at the baby laying in his arms fast asleep.

"She's a baby," he turned away, "you know, a miniaturized human being."

"Doctor," Rory spoke up and everyone turned to face him. "You know she's going to keep asking until you tell her, I for one would rather it not be a very long process. It's safer just to give her what she wants so she shuts up." Amy glared at him.

The Doctor trudged around Amy and the console over to River who knew immediately what he was going to do and held her arms out as he put Amelia back into her arms. He then rolled his eyes and walked past her, just waiting for Amy to follow him.

"I knew it!" She darted around to River. "You - I - I'm..."

River began to laugh, she knew her mother well enough to know where that stammer had just taken her. Amy looked up at River's apparent enjoyment out of her realization that if that baby was whose she was thinking it was, then she was not only younger than her daughter, but she was also a grandmother.

"River," Rory finally made his way over to her, "is she yours?"

The Doctor sighed from the other side of the console.

River nodded.

"It's his," he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at The Doctor, "right?"

"Well, who else do you think it would be?"

"Of course she's mine!" The Doctor came around over by the Ponds - all of them - he was a little hurt by Rory's question. "If she's _not_ mine, then I'd certainly like to know who else's she is."

"Oh, hush." River shook her head at him.

"River..." Amy began again, "she's - yours - his - what did you name her?" Her eyes got misty as she waited for the answer she already knew.

"Amelia Song," The Doctor said flatly.

"Well," Rory huffed, "aren't you just special."

"Amelia Rory Song," River corrected, eyes narrowing at The Doctor.

"Yes Rory," The Doctor rolled his eyes and shook his head, "we didn't leave you out."

"Oh, right, good." He nodded still a bit in shock that he was a grandfather.

Clara cleared her throat and everyone looked over to her.

"Who are you?" Amy looked at The Doctor, "she's not yours too is she?"

"No..." The Doctor looked at Clara, "she's my current companion." He noticed the look that Amy and Rory exchanged, "oh come on, you two were my companions."

"Which got really complicated when we found out that Mels, was Melody, who was River, who was our daughter, who married our best friend," Rory really laid on the sarcasm, "yeah, 'companion' changed quite a bit with us." Amy elbowed him. She could remember the night that River had confirmed that her and The Doctor were legitimately married, and she had been there in Manhattan as well...thinking about that caused her to have a single tear fall down from her face. "Amy?" Rory turned to his wife noticing the tear slowly going down it, "what's wrong?"

"We've missed out on so much of your lives..."

The Doctor and River exchanged a look, did they dare tell them that their precious daughter had - more or less - died, and that they almost had their daughter taken from them by the very same person that had taken River from her parents? Should that topic be completely avoided?

It was as an unspoken answer was reached because neither of them said anything, and then turning back to face her parents they noticed that they were being watched.

"What was _that_ look for?" Amy's hands were on her hips.

"Nothing," The Doctor replied rather quickly.

"Is that a real nothing," Rory was pointing at nothing but had his hand in the air and bounced it to the right, "or a Rule 1 nothing?" He shrugged his shoulders and kept looking at them. Amy was staring at them as well.

"Does it matter?" River questioned her parents.

"Of course it matters!" Rory nodded along with Amy's response.

"Please Doctor, what aren't you telling us?" Rory put his arm around Amy's shoulders, "whatever it is, we can take it."

The Doctor and River shared another glance, and jointly sighed.

"Clara?" River looked over her shoulder.

"Yes River?"

"Would you mind taking Amelia to her crib, maybe she should get some sleep."

"Absolutely." Clara loved watching Amelia and was always ready to help whenever it came to her. She'd never let anything happen to that baby. She loved Amelia a great deal. Clara jumped out of her chair that she had sat in during the silence earlier and walked over to River who handed Amelia to her. "I've got her." She smiled and left the room.

"We don't get to hold her?" Amy watched Clara walk away with her grand baby.

"Um," River began, "not during what we're going to tell you -"

"And we don't think we should either." The Doctor finished for her.

Amy and Rory both froze. If The Doctor and River were sending their daughter out of the room because they were concerned about their response, what could possibly have happened to warrant this exchange. They both immediately regretted asking, because now, whatever this was, however bad it was, they were going to find out about it now.

"You might want to sit down..." River gently insisted. Her parents sat down almost immediately. The Doctor himself sat down, River went in front of him and leaned into him, she didn't want to sit down, but she didn't want to stand either. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist and she placed her right hand on his.

"River," Amy hesitated, "what happened?"

"Well, I almost..." she looked earnestly at her parents, "died."

Amy gasped and her hand flew up over her mouth, while Rory's jaw dropped.

"You see...about a month after you two di - were taken by the Angels, The Doctor, who had been putting off taking me some where - now I know why - so that what happened wouldn't happen, but he finally caved," she stroked his face, "I went to help him - well I asked him to come and help me -"

"Physic paper," he tilted his head, "bit odd at the time."

"And I met a younger version of him...this version didn't know me, he hadn't even met me - well I guess that's when he met me, bit not good - and he helped, he did everything he always did, and he saved everyone like he always does-"

"But?"

"But, he couldn't save me." She sighed, "I wouldn't let him."

"She handcuffed me to something so I couldn't save her-"

"Wait..." Rory was trying to process something, "so you saw her die, and you never told us that? Shouldn't we have known that?"

"No," The Doctor shook his head. "I couldn't even tell River, I had to let her go. I had to let her die."

"What?" Amy's nostrils flared and she stood up.

"Mother please."

Amy sat back down.

"I didn't really die, but he didn't know that. I didn't know that either. I was in a coma. I woke up and was in the same hospital room as Amelia."

"He didn't know you lived? But he knows now?" Amy was very confused.

"Yes, he knows now," River sighed, "oh mother, do you really need to know all this? It's really quite sad."

"I think we deserve to know, don't you Rory?"

"I don't want to know any more Amy..." tears were streaming down his face.

"Rory..." Amy wiped the tears away. "She's our daughter, we have a right to know what happened."

"River, please don't say any more." He looked at The Doctor, "what matters now is you're safe and sound, right? Nothing bad has happened since?"

The Doctor and River looked at each other again, neither wanted to bring up Kovarian and so a silent pact was made. They would say nothing of the Kovarian threat until it was absolutely necessary...though they both hoped it would never be. Though they both believed with all their hearts, that Kovarian would come again for Amelia...no, not telling them at this point was probably a good idea. Keep things happy.

"Never let them see the damage," The Doctor whispered into River's hair, and she nodded ever so slightly. No, for now, they wouldn't tell them. Need to know basis from now on, don't tell them anything that will hurt them, or say anything that would hurt them for talking about it. Mum's the word for now.


	18. Chapter 18

_Note to reader: I apologize for the fast paced feeling that the Rose/Ten chapter had, I hadn't really thought that out much and then hurried to get rid of it, which showed, so I'm sorry. And here is more with the Ponds..._

* * *

Later that evening when everyone was saying their goodnights and heading off to bed Amy was still holding her little namesake in her arms. So many emotions were going through her mind, but most of all, holding this baby, her granddaughter made her long for the time when River was an infant. Kovarian had taken her from them, and she would never hold her baby Melody again, she wouldn't even see her grow up. Oh she had come to terms with it, she'd even accepted it, but in this moment, she was very...oh what was the word...well, she couldn't think of it, but she wasn't exactly happy. She was very happy for them, for The Doctor and River, she knew that after all the chaos that they'd been through they deserved to be happy.

"Mother?" River had entered the nursery without Amy even noticing. "Are you alright?"

Amy looked up, "of course I'm alright."

"You're a lousy liar," she sighed, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned against a dresser. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Amy was avoiding making eye contact with River, "really, it's nothing." Of course it was something, but she didn't want to make River feel bad.

"Mother," she waited for Amy to look at her, "what's wrong? I know you're not alright."

"It's just..." she hesitated looking back down at Amelia who was asleep in her arms and holding her index finger in one of her little hands, "I never got this with you." She finally made eye contact with her daughter. "Kovarian took you away from me, I never got to see you grow up, and I barely even got to hold you." She looked back down at Amelia.

"Ah," River came forward and knelt in front of Amy, "that's what I thought it was about."

River felt bad, she'd never really understood just how much that would have traumatized Amy until Kovarian tried to take Amelia away from her. She'd been outraged. She would have killed Kovarian if The Doctor hadn't stopped her. He knew that Kovarian wasn't going to just let them leave, she would come again, so why had he stopped her? She couldn't work it out, but she decided that if and when that time came that Kovarian tried to take Amelia again, there would be hell to pay.

"I mean, I'm glad you're here now," Amy sighed, "and I really wouldn't change this bit, but at the same time River...I never got _this_..." she ever so slightly lifted Amelia up.

"I know mother," she laid her head on Amy's knee, "and I'm _so_ sorry."

"River?"

"Yes?" She lifted her head to look at her mother.

"Did you really almost die?"

"Yes," she didn't want to lie to her if she was going to ask questions.

"He saw you die - well he thought you died - before he even met us?"

"Yes."

"So he knew you were going to 'die'..." she paused, "during your entire relationship."

"Yes."

Amy let out a heavy sigh. She couldn't imagine what that must have been like for him. The Doctor cared so much about everyone, but to _know_ that River was going to die, even before they actually met, how could he have survived that? How could he still fall in love with her knowing that he was eventually going to lose her? Amy couldn't even imagine what that would have been like. What would she have done if she knew Rory was going to die in her future? Would she have been able to love him completely? She was certain that The Doctor loved River completely. His actions always spoke volumes, Manhattan had been a perfect example.

"How could he have done that?" She finally asked. "Looked you in the eyes every time he saw you and fall more and more in love..." she sighed, "I don't know that I could do that..."

River sighed, that was something she had wondered over and over again. He had _known_ when they went to the Towers that she was going to die not long after that. She'd treasured - and sometimes hoarded - her moments with him, but he'd never once acted like something was wrong...not until that night, the night they went to Darillium. He'd cried. She didn't know what to say or do, and he wouldn't tell her what was wrong - though now she understood why - but he still spent time with her. He'd chosen to marry her...the fact that he knew she was going to die made that act of love mean so much more to her. He could have changed it, he could have chosen not to marry her. There were other ways they could have moved time forward, but he _chose_ to marry her. She still hadn't completely wrapped her mind around that yet. She wasn't even sure she ever would.

"River," Amy began again, calling River back to what was happening now.

"Yes?" she looked down at Amelia in her mother's arms and raised a hand to stroke her daughters head.

"Life has never been easy on you two has it?"

"No..." River sighed, "but where's the fun in that?" She smiled, but it soon faltered.

"Why can't things ever be normal?"

"First define what normal is..."

"I don't know, not chaotic..."

"When you stop running with The Doctor," she smiled, "but I married him, so never."

"Of course, you never would..." Amy sighed and nodded her head, of course they couldn't have a normal life. The mother in her just wished that they could. Their life would never be easy, they would always face opposition, and because of who he was, there would always be people out there that would want to hurt him...which could be achieved by his family. "Are you ever worried about Kovarian, River?" Her face hardened, "she took you, and you were only part Time Lord because of the Vortex...but she's," she gulped back a sob, "she's more Time Lord than you'll ever be, she would be a much powerful asset..."

River was surprised, and not surprised that Amy had gone there. Of course Amy would be worried about it. She'd never want her daughter to go through what she had, and River knew that. She debated telling Amy that Kovarian had already tried - unsuccessfully - to procure Amelia, but she could not even bare the thought of her mothers reaction, and she'd never tell anyone something that she had agreed with The Doctor on about not sharing...especially when it came to the safety and wellbeing of their daughter. Nothing scared or worried them more than Kovarian getting what she wanted, and taking Amelia from them.

"We'll take care of her if she ever tries," _lie, lie, lie_ River thought to herself, "but we don't think she even knows we're together."

"Be careful River," she started rocking back and forth, "we don't even know how she got me. There are secrets that woman keeps that even she probably can't remember. She works for the Silence still I'm sure. Even though I only killed her in that aborted timeline, I would do it again in a heartbeat if she ever tried to take Amelia away from you." She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms, "no one should ever have to go through that, and I would know."

"Would you like to go to bed mother?" River stood up, "I can take it from here."

"No, it's okay, you could probably use it more than me..." she slowly made eye contact with River.

"How many years has it been for you?" River questioned, "since Manhattan? You and dad both look older than when we last saw you..."

"Oh River," Amy sighed, "it's been about fifteen years..."

River stumbled, "fifteen?" Amy nodded. River couldn't imagine how it could have been fifteen years for them. Sure they looked older...but in their fifties? Well at least the whole grandparents thing probably isn't as weird. For the first time, River was younger than her parents. She thought that was odd, being that she'd always been older than them, even when they grew up together she was older than them. And now, they were older than her. She couldn't quite get her mind around that.

"What do you and dad do - in the past?"

"I write," she looked at Amelia, "your father does, well, he's Rory he's a nurse and he does whatever he wants whenever he's not at work. And Anthony -"

"Anthony?" River wasn't sure what this other name meant. Who was Anthony?

"Oh, right," Amy looked up at River, "he's your brother. Your father and I adopted him about seven years ago."

"How old is he?"

Amy laughed, "seven. Aren't you listening?"

"So I have a brother?" River never thought she would hear that. She'd never even imagined it for that matter. She knew because of whatever Kovarian did to her because of being pregnant with River had rendered her barren. She'd felt guilty about that. Sometimes she thought she might have brought more pain to their lives than anything else.

"Yes," Amy stood up, "speaking of which," she extended her arms to River, "I need to find out what happened to him."

River took Amelia from her mother, "what do you mean, 'what happened to him'?"

"Well, he was standing with us when we ended up in the TARDIS."

"Oh?" River was curious and contemplative at the same time.

"Where's The Doctor?" Amy began to walk out of the room and River silently rushed after her so she wouldn't wake the baby.

"Hopefully sleeping. He never sleeps."

"Doctor?" Amy was calling his name all the way down the hall. "Doctor? Doctor I need you help."

Just then a head popped out of a door farther down the hall.

"Yes Pond?" The Doctor walked out into the hallway and came towards the women. "What's up?"

"We may have a slight issue..." Amy hesitated.

"Oh?" He looked at River who shrugged.

"What did River do now?"

River stomped her foot and looked at him. She was very annoyed with that comment.

"Nothing!" Amy protested, "River has been wonderful."

"Ah," he looked from Amy to River and gave an apologetic shrug, "what seems to be the problem?"

"Apparently," River's sarcasm was palpable, "I have a brother."

The Doctor looked at her confused, "and how is that a problem? Ooh, I like brothers. Brothers are cool." He smiled and straightened his tie.

"She didn't say 'tie' Doctor," Amy was shaking her head at him.

"Of course she didn't," he straightened up, "but bowties are cool."

"Doctor-"

"Yes, brother," he pointed at River, "meaning son," pointing at Amy, "ooh, brother for me too." He smiled and then noticed the less than thrilled looks on the faces of Pond and Song and focused again, "what about him? Does he have a name?"

"Anthony." Both of the women answered in unison.

"Ooh," he squealed, and pointed from Amy to River and did so repetitively, "I've missed this." They shook there heads at him again. "Right, what's wrong?"

"Well," Amy began, "before Rory and I ended up here, we were standing with Anthony - we call him Tony for short - anyways, we were standing with him, but he didn't show up here with us, so what happened to him?"

The Doctor thought for a moment and then darted in the direction of the console. Amy hurried after him.

"Ooh, I hate it when he does that." River followed slowly trying not to wake Amelia. She was glad though, Amelia had been doing so much better since they'd taken her in the TARDIS, she was sleeping, she was eating, everything was normal. She still couldn't believe all that had happened with Kovarian. That woman was definitely going to suffer at some point in time. For even _trying_ to take her daughter away.

"Doctor!" Amy ran after him. "Why do you always do this?" She shook her head as she followed him. "Some things _never_ change."

Upon reaching the console The Doctor pulled the scanner over, by that time Amy had come in panting, "ah, Pond, you've gotten a bit slow."

"I've gotten older, you moron." She slowed and ended standing beside The Doctor.

"Oh?" He looked at her, "yes I suppose you have." He pointed to her face, "you're all wrinkly." Amy shoved his hand away and shook her head. "No, I think I know a wrinkle when I see one." He looked at the scanner, "where..._exactly_, were you, and Rory and Tony at Amy? And what were you doing there?"

"Oh, you know..." she looked away from him.

"Amy..." he was staring at her now, "what were you doing?"

"Nothing, why?" She looked at the scanner.

"Because...whatever you were doing the TARDIS didn't like it and pulled you all here."

"All?"

"Yes, Pond, all three of you."

"Three of them what?" River had finally made it to the console.

"Oh, River," he walked over towards her as she descended the stairs towards him, "they were doing something very River-esque and the TARDIS didn't like it-"

"It's because it wasn't me doing it." He placed two fingers over her mouth.

"Hush," and he turned back to Amy, "whatever it was that you were doing, Miss Amelia Pond, the TARDIS _literally_ teleported you here."

"But you said all three of us?"

"Yes I did, so?"

"So where is Anthony?"

Everyone exchanged looks and then suddenly The Doctor smacked his forehead.

"Of course!" He punched in something on the keyboard and looked back up at the scanner, "there!" He pointed to a location in the TARDIS.

"There what?" River asked as her and Amy looked to where he had pointed.

"She put him in the library."

"Great..." Amy was being sarcastic. "He loves the library. We're never going to get him out of there."

"Oh don't be so silly Pond." He looked at River, "shall we all go get him?"

"Shouldn't we wake dad?" River glanced at Amy who sighed.

"Yes I supposed we should."

The trio walked off to find the room where Rory had fallen asleep, then another search would begin.

Finding Tony in the library.


	19. Chapter 19

_Note to reader: Clara's back guys, and she's gonna explain where she's been, so :-p_

* * *

"Hello? Hello?"

Clara perked up in her seat. She'd taken to sitting in the library for the time being. The Doctor and River had a lot to sort out and explain, which she already knew, so she just figured she'd go to the ginormous library and sit down and read. She had tried making soufflés in the kitchen, but they hadn't turned out right and she was sure the TARDIS had been laughing at her. She had rarely heard anything but her own breathing and the sound the book made as she turned the page or threw it on the floor because it got boring, but now there was a voice. She leaned forward in her chair and looked around. Where was it coming from? She shook her head and sat back, maybe she was just hearing things.

"Hello?" came the voice again.

"Okay!" Clara looked up at the ceiling, "if you're trying to freak me out that's just plain mean."

"Hello?"

Just then a young boy came around an aisle of books. Clara could see him but he couldn't see her. She picked her legs up in front of her on the chair and leaned into the side of it so she could just peer over the side and look at the strange child that was now in the library. She had nothing against kids, she loved kids. Artie and Angie, and little Amelia, she loved this kids, but this one was different.

"Who is that?" Clara whispered at the TARDIS. "And why is he in the library?"

The TARDIS groaned.

"Oh, you don't know either, lovely."

Clara could picture the TARDIS shaking her head if she'd had one.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The boy was walking closer and closer to Clara.

"What do I _do_?" Clara looked at the boy and then at the TARDIS. "_Who_ is he? Does The Doctor know him? Does The Doctor even know he's here? TARDIS, _what_ is going on?" Clara sighed loudly. "Sometimes I wish you could talk, because right now you are no help _at all._" The TARDIS groaned in response. "Oh shut up."

"Come on, if someone's there, please answer me," the boy was somewhat pleading, "I don't know where I am."

The last thing he said hit Clara like a steel rod. She'd said and thought that in The Doctor's time stream, and here was this random boy saying the same thing. No he probably didn't have any connection to her, but the fact that he said that, made her want to help him, at least want to _try_ to help him. Clara stood up.

"Oi!" She waited for the boy to see her.

"Who are you?"

"Clara Oswald."

"Where am I?"

"The TARDIS' library."

"_The_ TARDIS? The 'bigger on the inside' TARDIS?" He looked around in amazement. "Is The Doctor here?"

"Somewhere, probably."

"This is _so_ cool!" He looked around again, he was fascinated with where he was. He'd heard so much about this place, and here he was standing in it. "How is this possible?" He looked back at Clara, "how did I even get here?"

"I don't even know," she shrugged. "Who are you?"

He darted down an aisle, "this is _so_ cool!" Clara smiled and followed him, she'd ask him again later. "How long have you been lost in here?" Clara laughed.

"Not lost."

"'_Not_ lost'?" His jaw dropped. "You mean you know where everything is?"

"Cute," Clara shook her head, "no. I most definitely do _not_ know where everything is." She looked up at the ceiling and shook her head, "she likes to change things around on me. I walked into a bathroom instead of the kitchen one time and instead of grabbing the oven door, I grabbed the toilet, not exactly what I was looking for."

"Really?"

"Yeah, burnt a whole soufflé for her to have her fun."

"Ah," he was still looking around. "This is _so cool_!" Clara laughed again.

"So I've heard."

"You don't think it's cool?" The boy looked at her aghast. "How can you not think this is cool?"

"Well it is cool," she smiled, "at first." The TARDIS groaned. The boy looked up at the ceiling.

"Is she talking to you? Can you understand her?"

"Uh no," she shook her head, "no one really understands her - well, that's not entirely true, The Doctor knows her, well he's been with her so long. And River is her favorite," she shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head, "though I'm not sure if she actually understands the TARDIS or if she's just trying to show off."

"River?" The boy asked her quite grief stricken, "River Song?"

"Yeah," Clara nodded, "River Song. You know her?" The boy shook his head and looked down. "But you know of her?" He nodded. "Well, she's awfully spirited." Spirited was putting it lightly, _feisty, sassy, sarcastic_, _ooh, I could go on._

"You know her?"

"Yes," Clara nodded, "I 'spose so."

"Is she every bit as cool as I've heard?" His eyes brightened as he looked at Clara.

"What have you heard?"

"Well," he began, "not a whole lot, but I know she's kicked a lot of arse!"

"Are you supposed to say that?"

"Well, um," he stammered, "no. But still! She really does that, doesn't she?"

"I'm sure she does."

"You haven't seen it either?" He seemed shocked.

"Nope."

"Oh my gosh!" He was outright flabbergasted, "wish we could."

"Well, maybe we will."

"Really? You really think so?" He was excited.

"Anything is possible with The Doctor."

"Yes, but I really want to meet River."

"More than The Doctor?" Clara was surprised.

"Yeah, actually."

"Why on earth is that?" She didn't have a problem with River, in fact she was very fond of River, but what made her so special to this boy that The Doctor fell second behind River Song.

"Well..." he looked embarrassed.

"Well?" Clara pried.

"She's my sister, I guess." He shrugged, "at least that's what I've been told."

"Sister?"

"Yeah," he started walking towards the door, "apparently I have a sister. Which I think is cool, but my parents told me that she's a lot older than me. Which kind of worries me..." he shrugged again, "I always wanted a brother or sister, but how much could she like me, if I'm so much younger than her?" He stopped and looked back at Clara, "I'll be so boring."

"Well I doubt that," Clara walked up to him. "You don't seem boring to me at all."

"Nah," he shrugged, but there was a newfound smugness in his shrug, "I'm boring alright."

"Pft, what ever makes you think that?"

"Well," he looked at Clara more intensely, "aren't I annoying you?"

"No! Not at all."

"Really?"

"Really," Clara insisted.

"Well, you seem pretty cool, Clara Oswald." He nodded definitively, "Oswald, it's kind of a funny name you know."

"Oi," she shook her head emphatically, "what's your name then mister? Maybe you have a funny name too!" He laughed.

"Anthony Williams," he said resolutely. "Beat that."

"The Doctor," she smiled smugly.

"That's not fair," he shook his head, "his name is unknown. Well I guess -"

"River knows it," she nodded, "yeah I know."

"That's not fair." Clara laughed at this, mostly because she agreed.

"No, it's not is it?"

"Definitely not, what makes her so special?"

"Well, she is-"

"His wife...yeah I suppose that's a good argument, but now I'm sort of his brother," he looked back at the door, "isn't that special too?"

"I suppose it is," Clara nodded, "but The Doctor really doesn't share his secrets, I'm surprised River got that out of him."

"Wife," he restated, "see, not fair."

"No Anthony, I suppose it's not."

"So, Clara?"

"Yes?" She knew he was going to ask something, and was hoping desperately that she could answer it.

"Where is everyone?"

"Who is everyone?"

"Well, I know you're here - now - but my parents and The Doctor, where are they?"

"They were in the console room, last I knew."

"You don't stay with them?" He seem surprised by this.

"Well, no," she paused, "they had some family stuff to talk about, I thought I might get in the way. And I wouldn't know what the hell to say."

"I guess," he shook his head at her, "but I don't know why you wouldn't want to stay with them all the time, they're actually kind of cool, my parents - oh, but please don't tell them I said that..."

"My lips are sealed," Clara used her fingers to zip her mouth and then smiled, "we'll make sure they never know that you think they're cool."

"Good," he smiled at her, "I like you Clara Oswald."

"I like you too Anthony," she noticed that he was itching to leave, "you want to go find everyone else?" He nodded emphatically. "Alright then," she looked up at the ceiling before she reached her hand out to open the door, "wanna show us some magic?" The TARDIS dinged and Clara smiled. "Alrighty then," Clara pulled the door open, held her arm out to Anthony, "shall we?"

"We shall," he looped his arm in her and they stepped out into the console room.

"That's a good girl," Clara was beaming at the TARDIS, "there's hope for you yet!"

The TARDIS groaned at Clara's comment, but if she could have laughed, she would have.


	20. Chapter 20

_Note to reader: This was written late, but I think it's pretty coherent if not, I'm sorry I'll edit it in that case. Also, writing for six talking people and a baby who can talk to The Doctor is no easy thing, so please don't expect perfection. So without any further ado, here is chapter 20. :-)_

* * *

"Oh my god!" Anthony exclaimed upon seeing the console, he couldn't let go of Clara's arm fast enough and darted over to the scanner. Hopping up and down he tried to pull it so he could see it, but to no avail, it wasn't working he was still too short.

Clara seeing his rubbish attempts at reaching the scanner walked over to him, hoisted him in the air so he could see the screen. Clara too looked at it. It seemed as if there was a dot, signifying something where they were.

"What's the dot for?" he pointed at the screen.

"Either, they're trying to find you," she shrugged, "or The Doctor's gone weird again."

"He can stop?" His genuine surprise at that statement caused Clara to laugh so hard that she was bouncing Anthony around, "Clara! You're losing it." He crossed his little arms in front of his chest, "really, you really are losing it."

"The Doctor," she gasped, "can he-" she inhaled, "oh Anthony, you have no idea how great of a comment that was, do you?"

"It made you go all weird and crazy..." he was now staring at her with a drawn back expression.

"Oi!" She stopped laughing and looked at him, "I'm not all weird and crazy, just kinda weird and maybe a little crazy."

"Kinda? Little?"

"Whoo," she sighed and put him back on his feet, "you can tell what family you're from." He looked at her clearly confused, "sass. You've got lots and lots of sass." At this comment however he beamed.

"My parents said I must be telepathically linked with River."

"That would make sense," she nodded. "She certainly is sassy."

"Clara?" he looked up at her.

"Yes?" looking at him.

"Do you like River?" He shook his head, "I mean, is she cool? Do you think she's cool? Do you think she'll like me? Should I be afraid of her? Does she ever just do something you want to just - slap - her for? Does she ever talk too much? Does she ever listen? Is she a good friend? Is she a good wife? Do you think she'd make a good sister? Do you think she could ever be a mom?" He noticed Clara's face, "do I ask too many questions?"

"How old are you?"

"Seven - alll-almost eight."

"Ah," Clara nodded, "then nope, you definitely do not ask too many questions."

"Were you going to answer any of them?"

"What do you want to know? Wh-what, do you want to know most?"

"Do you think she'll be a good sister?" He seemed very worried by this question though Clara could not place it specifically on anything.

"I'd never though about it..." she figured she owed him the truth.

"That means no," his face was downcast almost immediately.

"Of course that doesn't mean no...why would that mean no?"

"You never thought about it," he sighed, "so she probably never did either."

"Whoa, kid, River and I are - pretty much - _never_ on the same page."

"How do you know that? Do you guys like read the same book and one's slower than the other?"

"Oh," Clara'd forgotten just how much different it was to talk to someone his age than Artie and Angie. "We don't always think the same."

"Oh."

Clara wasn't quite sure he even understood, but she was gonna leave it like that for now.

"Where is everyone?"

"I have...no idea," Clara was looking around the console area and craning her neck to see down the hallways.

"Doctor, I think your scanner was _wrong_," it was Rory.

"_No_," he was placing a lot of emphasis on that no. "My scanner was working just fine, wasn't it River?"

Anthony perked up and Clara could tell he was getting excited.

"Oh don't bring her into your little argument," Amy was sounding annoyed. "You two, I've never heard you argue like this."

"He's telling me my TARDIS is broken!"

"Yeah Amy, and he's telling me that 'nothing is every wrong with my baby.'"

"There is nothing wrong with my baby," he paused, "or the TARDIS _either_."

"Oi! Shut up!"

The two shut up immediately.

For the next minute Clara and Anthony waited for the group to come back. Upon entering they all noticed Clara standing with Anthony who was frozen in place.

"Aha!" The Doctor exclaimed, "Clara took him!" Clara's hands flew to her hips.

"Clara did nothing. Oi! He was lost in the library, where I just so happened to be." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"So that's where you've been," The Doctor stated, "why've you been there?"

"Um," she gestured to everyone but Anthony, "felt out of place, didn't know what to say..." she shifted all her weight to one leg, "and maybe I just wanted some alone time, is that alright with you?"

"Well, I - I - I - I...guess if you want some time alone," The Doctor was wringing his hands together, "but you could've just said that."

"Ahem!" River cleared her throat. "You two mind, I don't know, shutting up?" They looked at her and she glared at them, "mum finally got Amelia to sleep again, so please, act like grownups." The Doctor took a step toward her and opened his mouth to say something, but River beat him, "oh don't even try to argue with me mister, or someone will be sleeping in the dog house."

"Why would I sleep in a dog house? The TARDIS has quite a lovely bedroom - you would know."

"It's a figure of speech, moron." Amy was shaking her head and Rory in attempt to get in his wife's good graces again was shaking his head in agreement, though he stopped as soon as he met her gaze.

"River?" Anthony finally spoke up.

"No, Doctor." He opened his arms to Anthony.

"River?" he asked again.

"Yes. That's me."

"I've been waiting forever to meet you!" He rushed forward past The Doctor's open arms and into River's.

"Well, that's not," he looked at all the faces but River's in the room, "but I'm The Doctor."

"Oh shut up," River shook her head at him and pulled Anthony up into her arms. "So you're the brother I've been told all about?" He nodded, clearly too starstruck to speak.

"Doctor, is very lost," he looked at Anthony, "very confused. You went to River first?"

Rory patted him on the shoulder, "face it Doctor, they'll always prefer their mothers."

"Oh no they won't." The Doctor walked over to Amy and picked Amelia up into his arms. "_She_ is gonna be a daddy's girl and _not_ go to her mother for everything." Amelia opened her eyes.

"Great, you woke her up." River shook her head at him.

_Momma's fun though._

"Oi! I'm fun too!"

Everyone in the room looked at The Doctor.

_But momma sings to me._

"I can sing too!" Everyone in the room smiled, but held in their laughter.

_Oh, I thought you were crying._

"You and Stormegeddon must be soul mates."

"Doctor?" Anthony was looking at him with a very confused expression, "how do you know what she's saying?"

At the same time that The Doctor said, "I speak baby," the rest of the room said, "he speaks baby." Only difference was River added, "and it's bloody annoying." The Doctor glared at her briefly.

"Well, Anthony Pond -"

"Williams," everyone but Rory corrected.

"That's not how it works."

"Thank you Rory. Rory the Roman." He turned on the spot and kissed Rory on the forehead which he managed to barely get because he was still holding onto Amelia. The women were shaking their heads and Clara couldn't seem to care less.

"So were you in the library the whole time?" River asked Clara.

"No, not the whole time."

The TARDIS mad a funny noise that they'd never heard her make before.

"Is she - laughing?" Amy looked at the ceiling as did everyone else.

"Probably," Clara shook her head, "she made me burn two perfectly good soufflés." The TARDIS made the noise again, "okay so they both were rubbish."

"Interesting...Rory Pond," he held out Amelia who Rory took, "Anthony, why's River so special?"

"She's my sister," he explained simply.

"Yeah? Well I'm your brother-in-law. Brother-in-laws are cool."

"But you didn't grow up with stories about how cool she is!"

"Of course not, she grew up hearing stories about me. She killed me even!"

"In all fairness - I didn't really know much of anything then," River interrupted.

"And she did save your life..." Rory interjected.

"It's true," said Amy and Clara together.

"Why do I feel like it's the Ponds and Clara versus me right now?"

"Because that's how your big head is seeing it."

"I _do not_ have a big head!"

"Have you checked lately?" Amy retorted.

"What, like in a mirror?"

"No, not a mirror," River rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Go give him a hug," she set Anthony down, "or we're gonna hear about this for another hour at least."

Anthony walked over to The Doctor and extended his hand.

"Doctor, it's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled.

"I get a handshake?" He was flabbergasted.

"Nice bowtie," he was being sarcastic.

The Doctor straightened his tie, "it is isn't it?" With a smile, "bowties are cool aren't they?"

_Nope. Never have been never will be._

The Doctor spun around and looked at Amelia who Rory was still holding, and shook his head.

"She said they're not, didn't she?" River asked him with a smile.

"She just doesn't appreciate them yet."

"Face it Doctor, no one will ever appreciate or like bowties as much as you." Amy was nodding in agreement with Clara.

"But bowties _are_ cool."

The room erupted in laughter, as the Doctor walked over to the scanner punched in a date and started pushing buttons, flicking switches and turning knobs.

"Where are we going?" River stopped laughing to ask.

"An airplane, in space, with dinosaurs."

"Really?" Anthony perked up.

River, the Ponds and Clara were all shaking their heads. River walked up to The Doctor, kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "you are ridiculous," in his ear before stepping over to Clara to give her a hug.

"Glad to have you back in the chaos with us." Then she smiled and Clara smiled back.


	21. Chapter 21

_Oh readers...I'm having too much fun with this plot..._

* * *

_A month after the dinosaurs that weren't..._

"Doctor," it was Anthony.

"Hmm?" He looked over at him.

"That wasn't the right place _or_ time, was it?" The Doctor shook his head.

"Nope, you are right Mr. Pond."

Anthony shook his head at this. What was this apparent fascination that The Doctor had with calling everyone "Pond"? River was _technically_, a Pond, but he never called her a Pond. Was he missing something? River was born with a different name, so why wasn't she Melody Pond? Was she ashamed to be a Pond? Why did she choose the name River Song?

"Boys?"

The two looked over to see Clara.

"We're at a park, sort of," she tilted her head, she wasn't sure exactly what to call it, "mind if I take Anthony out there?"

"Not at all." Rory nodded at Clara, "have fun!"

"Really Clara?" The boys eyes sparkled.

"Absolutely," she smiled at him. She really was starting to get attached to the little guy.

"Awesome!" He hopped down from his seat by River and rushed over to the door, waited for Clara and then as soon as she reached him he flung the door open and Clara followed after him. The Doctor snapped and the doors swung shut.

"They seem to get on pretty well," Amy observed. "That's really nice, but what happens when we have to leave?"

"Leave?!" Both The Doctor's and River's heads snapped to her.

"You can't leave," River stood up, "why would you want to leave?"

"We have lives there River," Amy sighed.

"It's not that we don't love you all," Rory walked forward and laid his hand on Amy's shoulder, "but our home is in 1953."

"Oh," River said looking at the ground where Amelia was playing with blocks, she'd finally learned to sit up and did a wonderful job of it. She'd gained over five pounds in the month and a half that had passed since they saw Kovarian. Amelia was almost a year old. Still tiny for her age and not quite walking yet, but she was recovering in indescribable ways. So much so that, they were no longer worried about her health. They were sure there would probably always be _something_, because neither The Doctor nor River knew exactly what it was that Sans had done or not done, and they didn't dare risk finding out.

They still hadn't told Amy and Rory about Kovarian, the need hadn't arisen and the timing was never right, though both The Doctor and River had to admit that even when those moments came they would push them aside. What Amy and Rory didn't know wouldn't kill them...at least they hoped not.

They had heard nothing about Kovarian at all, there had been whispers before which is why River had been so concerned - and rightly so. That woman was relentless, she wouldn't go down without a fight, much to the detriment of the Songs. Yeah, that's how it worked. If they ever went on dates to actual restaurants they were always seated as "The Doctor's Song's." Not that The Doctor really minded. He'd never dare use his real name for anything, it had already been used in the worst possible way, adding to that was absolutely out of the question.

"River?"

After hearing her name she looked at The Doctor.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?" He had leaned forward in his seat and was looking at her eyes. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yes," she waved him away, "of course I'm fine."

_She's really not._

The Doctor looked at his daughter on the floor, her hair was growing in just as red as her grandma's. Of course he wasn't ginger but his daughter was because it ran on her mothers' side and therefore ended up with red hair.

Feeling his stare Amelia looked up to see her poppa looking down at her.

"I don't think she is either," he was speaking to his daughter.

"Ugh! I hate that you speak baby," River was frustrated and he couldn't blame her. Her parents had just suggested going home to a time and a world that she wasn't in. She supposed she finally understood how her mother had felt when she was ripped away from her.

"River," Rory began, "we're not asking to leave yet..."

"We just want you to understand," Amy continued, "that we cannot stay with you both forever."

"Don't get us wrong, we love you all, and we're amazingly blessed to have Amelia in our family as well," Rory sighed, "but we have lives to go back to."

"This is a wonderful experience and we are so happy to have spent more time with you-"

"I thought," The Doctor said walking towards them, "that you said you weren't leaving yet?"

"We're not," Amy insisted.

"So don't you think this conversation could wait until then?" He was wringing his hands together, "'cause River's not liking this conversation, and because of that I'm not liking it either."

"Oh," Amy and Rory said together. They'd thought about how River would feel and they had been exceedingly wrong up to this point, maybe The Doctor was right, maybe this was a conversation for another time.

Suddenly there was a frantic pounding on the door, startling everyone inside and causing Amelia to fall over, who River ran to and scooped her up. The Doctor had run to the door and retching it open in rushed Anthony.

"Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" He was exceedingly out of breath. "Statues...there's statues and they're moving, they've got Clara surrounded."

Anthony had barely finished speaking when The Doctor dashed out of the TARDIS, River in a frantic frenzy shoved Amelia into her mothers arms.

"Don't follow us!" She insisted to her parents and Anthony. The Angels weren't taking them away from her again if she could help it.

River rushed out of the TARDIS and saw The Doctor in the distance. Picking up her speed she caught up to him, though that was probably because of the adrenaline that was intensifying every feeling and emotion that she was currently having. The Weeping Angels were no one's friends, least of all hers and The Doctor's.

Coming upon a what could have been considered a swarm of Weeping Angels - much like they encountered a the Byzantium - and one showed up behind her and grabbed her wrist. The Doctor hearing River's gasp turned around, sonic pointing.

"Oh not you don't!" He charged over to the Angel.

River wasn't sure what to do. Why hadn't it sent her back in time? Not that she wanted it to, but why was it simply holding her.

"You let go of her now!"

There was a voice behind him.

"Doctor."

"Don't blink River," he made eye contact with her before spinning around to see the Angel whose voice he was hearing. It was the voice of a child.

"Doctor," the voice repeated.

"Yes, that is me. What can I do for you Angels?" _Stare, don't blink. Stare, don't blink. Whatever you do, don't blink._

"You can take us from this place, take us somewhere better."

"What? Like New York, where you took away people that _we_," he reached back and grabbed River's free hand, "love and care about? I don't think so."

"You must do this Doctor."

"Oh and why must I do such a thing?"

"Because if you don't, we will separate you and her forever," the Angel grinned.

"How are you doing that?" He hadn't stopped staring, he hadn't blinked...what the hell was going on?

"We've evolved Doctor."

"How?"

"We can move certain things even when we're being stared at. It's not so easy to defeat us now."

"How is this possible?"

"We've had outside help."

The Doctor was freaking out. That Angel had smiled _while_ he was looking at it. He hadn't blinked and nothing had happened that had not worked on them before. So what was going on, and how was he ever going to stop them, they had ahold of River...the one person in his life that he could absolutely _not_ live without.

"We can send her wherever we want Doctor," the smile broadened, "even years in the future."

"How is that _possible_?" This just wasn't making sense to him, he'd never encountered this before. He'd always been able to beat them, he'd always been fine, so what was different now? What made this time so unique?

"We feed over more than time energy now Doctor."

"What else do you feed off now then?"

"Love Doctor. We feed off love."

The Angel holding River's wrist began to smile maniacally as well. Love? They could feed off love now? What did that mean for them?

"Love?" He was absolutely flabbergasted. "How can you feed off love?"

"We don't know Doctor, but that's how I came to have this voice."

"The voice of an innocent child?" He couldn't even formulate his thoughts into words. "How did you acquire _that_ voice?"

"We took their family, we broke their family."

"What do you mean 'broke'?" River was glaring at her Angel.

"We broke the bond of love. If you could say it, and you meant it with every fiber of your being, we could take it."

"Take the love?" River was appalled.

"Love and life Doctor Song, love _and_ life."

"Quit being so cryptic," he was getting upset, "what does that mean?" He was speaking through clenched teeth.

"It means, _Doctor_, that the love that is present right now, with you and Professor Song, is unequal to any we've ever had. Your hearts right now are in terror that something might happen to her, and Doctor," the Angel paused for dramatic effect, "it just might."

"You let go of my wife, or so help me!"

"We will help you Doctor. Emotions make you vulnerable, you take away the emotions and you'll be indestructible."

"Let. Go. Of. My. Wife. Now."

"Oh Doctor," the Angel paused, "do you really think it could be that easy?"


	22. Chapter 22

_Here you go guys, more with the Angels..._

* * *

"Let's see shall we?" He glared at the Angel facing him, "let her go or I will break that Angels arm."

"Breaking is no longer a disadvantage for us."

"How - _the hell_ - is it not?" He was losing his composure.

"Much like you have done Doctor," it paused, "if you broke her arm she would grow a arm back, but there would also be a new Angel born from that severed limb. So Doctor, you really shouldn't be threatening us, not when the chips are down."

"Where's Clara?"

"Somewhere Doctor, somewhere indeed."

"Somewhere, where?" His jaw was so tight and his teeth so clenched that it came out like the hiss of a snake.

Another Angel came forward, pulling Clara along with it. She was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Doctor," she hiccuped, "what's going on?"

"I'm not sure Clara," he glanced to her, "but I promise I won't let anything happen to you." Upon looking back at the Angel he had been speaking to he noticed it had advanced by somewhere's above a foot and less than a yard. His subconscious was in such turmoil he didn't even care for one brief moment that he blinked and the Angel had advanced again.

River was beside herself. Here she was - _again_ - in the intense grip of an Angel, and this one was much worse, and infinitely more terrifying than the one that had her before. Love? How the hell could they feed off love? And then the thought dawned on her, _if he only says he loves me because of these Angels, what does that say about us_?

The six current Angels - River had counted - were beginning to encircle them. Soon there would be no escape from them. But they had to get out of there, they had a daughter to raise, their time was finally linear and her parents were still there, for however long they were able to stay. There was no way River was going to let these Angels win, evolved into something devastatingly worse or not, she'd never take this laying down.

Clara could not believe what was happening. The Doctor and River had barely told her what had happened to Amy and Rory, what she did understand was that these things were responsible from splitting up The Doctor's family, and even though she barely knew them, she was not okay with that in the least. Who did these creatures think they were? Didn't they know who they were dealing with? And if they did, why was The Doctor being the exact opposite of proactive. If The Doctor was anything, from Clara's point of view, he was on the edge of breaking down. Even she had to admit the idea alone scared her, almost as much as these angels were. She wondered if they knew what beast they were on the verge of awakening.

"Angels, these women are my life, let them go," he paused, "_now_."

The Angels did nothing.

"We do not need them, nor do you. We shall relieve you the burden of caring for them"

"Like _hell_ you will!" He pointed his sonic at the Angel, flicked it causing the prongs to open and then shut it. "Why do you need love? Why do you have to feed off love? You don't even have hearts."

"One does not need hearts in order to love," the Angel said calmly.

"Oh really now?"

"Love is an emotion, emotions can change on a whim. You can never trust your emotions, for they will always betray you in the end."

The Doctor had to admit that there was probably some truth to that statement, but right now he didn't care to figure out what that truth was. _Never ignore a coincidence, unless you're busy, then always ignore coincidence._ Right now he was trying to focus on saving everyone's lives. Just another day at work...though the stakes were higher this time, and he had much more to lose.

"You can't alway trust your brain either. Sometimes it tells you to do some pretty rubbish and silly things. Like, for example, bowties, people think they aren't cool, but that's because their brains are telling them that they aren't and then they begin to believe it."

"That's the example you choose?" River was shaking her head.

"It's a good example."

"No it's not," Clara was shaking her head as well.

"Yes it is, I love that example."

"Sorry to interrupt Doctor," the Angel began, "but this is just an example. They chastise you, but the amount of love in this very simple exchange is off our metaphorical charts. We can feel that love you're all emitting by simply poking fun at The Doctor."

"This love," the Angel holding River continued, "is unparalleled, so why would we ever let you go."

"Because I am The Doctor."

"We know who you are Doctor, and that changes nothing."

"Who said something needs to change?" He was tossing his sonic back and forth in his hands.

"You have Doctor, that is what you've been saying this whole time."

"No, change is not essential to you. You want something different. You want us to let them go. You want us to give in, to give you what you want...and you think that just because you are 'The Doctor' we're going to let that happen. What makes you different Doctor? Why should we give you what you want?"

"Because unless you do, that will be the last thing that you ever do. I will hunt down every single one of you, and I will slaughter you. I will make you wish you'd never been born, I will take out your entire race."

"We cannot die Doctor."

"I'll find a way."

"You can't."

"You push me enough," his gaze hardened, "and I'll find a way."

"You're a good man Doctor, you'd never destroy a whole race unprovoked."

"You take my wife and my friend from me, and that _is_ provoking. That is the worst kind of provoke. And you would rue the day you ever let that happen."

"We do not rue anything Doctor."

"There's a first time for everything."

"You are wrong Doctor."

"What am I wrong about?" He opened his arms to his sides, "please tell me, I love to know when I'm wrong."

"No you don't," River and Clara said together.

"Oh," he dropped his arms to his sides, "you are both being _so unbelievably _helpful."

"You're welcome, Sweetie."

"Anytime Doctor, anytime," Clara smiled.

"I love how your lives; your pasts, your presents and your futures are hanging in the balance and you two are making jokes."

"If not now, then when, my love?"

"When we're back, _safely_, inside the TARDIS."

"Well where's the fun in that?"

"River," she was not helping him at all.

"Doctor, River," Clara began, "your marriage is showing."

At the same time that River said, "why thank you dear," The Doctor said, "River we need to focus."

"Oh yeah," Clara would have rolled her eyes if she wasn't desperately staring at a Weeping Angel, "there it is again."

"I really _cannot_ believe you two," The Doctor sighed and tapped River's hand with his sonic.

"Well, dear," River sighed, "you need to lighten up."

"You're about to get sent, _who knows where_, and you're telling me to lighten up?"

"Yes, Sweetie, I am."

"I hate you," he smiled.

"No you don't," River and the Angel in front of The Doctor said together.

"Yeah, no need to worry at all River!"

"Oh my god," Clara exclaimed, "you two are something else entirely."

"Thank you Clara," River smiled and nodded in her direction.

The Doctor shook his head. He did love River, but she wasn't helping her situation at all and that was genuinely worrying him. Did she not care if she was sent somewhere else in time? He shook his head, he knew that wasn't true.

"Ow!" River suddenly exclaimed.

"River?" The Doctor's voice was layered thickly in concern.

"I think it just broke my wrist," her breath was sharp.

"Doctor," the Angel began, "that was a warning. The next time she will be displaced in time."

"What part of, 'let go of her' didn't you understand?"

"We do not need to understand Doctor."

"Do you have families?" His look intensified and his eyes narrowed.

"We do." The Doctor's eyebrow raised as the Angels arms dropped a very slight amount.

"Do you have children?"

"We might, Doctor."

"How would your children feel if something were to happen to you?"

"We cannot feel Doctor."

"So if I were to," he pointed the sonic screwdriver behind him, "River if you would," she moved his arm so it was pointed at the Angels' face, "so if I were to do something like," he pushed the button and the Angel's ear fell off. "How would you feel about that?"

The Angel released River's hand immediately.

"Why is it not coming back?" River's Angel was asking.

"You provoked him," River smiled.

"How?" It slowly raised it's hand to it's ear.

"You broke her wrist," Clara smiled and laughed.

The Angel holding Clara tightened it's grip on her arm. She exclaimed in pain.

"You really want to try this again?" His eyes narrowed again at the Angel. "You really want to tempt me?"

"Love Doctor."

"What about it Angel?" He smiled somewhat maniacally, "what about love?"

"Yours just grew," it's smile broadened, "you felt relief."

"Oh, you're emotion detectors now, are you?" Of course there was something else too. When that Angel said that they'd evolved, he'd never have pictured that it would be this much. Firstly, they weren't as easily defeatable, then they can feed on love now - along with time energy, _and_ now they could detect emotions? What the hell idiot would have decided this was a good idea? "Who are you Angels working for? Why are they after us so much? What do they want?"

"_You, Doc-tor._"

River backed into The Doctor.

"River?"

She was nodding frantically with her head in the small of his back.

"Kovarian."

"_Seriously?_" Clara couldn't believe it. Weeping Angels _and_ Kovarian, could this day get any better? It sure as hell couldn't get any worse.


	23. Chapter 23

"Doctor!" River was tugging at his sleeve.

"River?"

"Um, you know that _thing_, we said we'd never have to worry about?"

"Yep."

"You worried about it now?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Then don't you think it's time to _activate_ that other _thingy_," she had shoved herself as much into his back as she could possibly go.

"Yes, River," he sighed, "I'm already ahead of you." Rolling his eyes he stuck his sonic in the air and flicked it. "There."

**_Meanwhile in the TARDIS..._**

"Mum?"

"Yes Anthony?"

"Why did you let me sleep? I want to know what's going on." He was frustrated.

"We thought you could use some sleep," Rory tried to explain away.

He huffed and plopped himself down beside Amelia, who was once again on the floor playing. He picked up a block that had the letter A on it. Smiling he handed it to her.

"That's an A Mia-"

"Mia?" Amy and Rory said together.

"Well yeah," he half turned facing his parents, "they can't very well call her 'Amy' that would be too weird," he paused, "so yes, I'm going to call her Mia."

"What ever makes you happy sweetheart." He smiled turning back to Amelia.

"Anyways," he exaggerated, "want to know what's special about this A? Well...your name starts with an A and so does mine. Something we have in common Mia. Your parents aren't cool enough," he paused and tilted his head, "then again, no one knows your poppa's name so it _could_ start with an A for all we know. But we're a unique bunch Mia. You and me." He smiled proudly, but when a sudden appearance of what looked like The Doctor and River from the console he fell backwards.

"River, is this really necessary?" The Doctor was saying.

"I hope not, but we'd better be prepared for it, incase it is." She straightened his bowtie.

They looked at each other.

"You going to start it?" River was asking.

"Doesn't that little red light mean that I have?" He pointed the way of where the projection was coming from.

"I suppose it does."

"So then we should start, right?"

"Uh," River cleared her throat, "mum, dad-"

"Amy, Rory-"

"They know who we're talking about," River shook her head.

"I know they know who we meant-mean. But what if someone else is there."

"If _anyone_ else it there it will be Amelia and Anthony, and they'd _both_ know who I was talking about," River was a bit exasperated.

"Then there is no question, as to who we mean." He was a little withdrawn, he'd annoyed River and knew it.

"_Mum, dad_," she looked at him before facing them again, "if you're getting this-"

"Which we desperately hope you're not..."

"How many times are you going to interrupt Doctor?"

"Once," his raised a single finger and then dropped it immediately.

"Good," shaking her head she once again faced them, "if you're getting this-" The Doctor had started to raise his hand but then dropped it, "which _we_ desperately hope you're not, then there is something that you need to know."

"Something we shouldn't have withheld from you," he interrupted but she didn't critique him.

"We know now-then-that we shouldn't have. Now we don't know exactly what is happening with us, but we're fairly certain it's not good...and that in one way or another it undoubtably involves..." she sighed heavily and The Doctor put his arm around her waist.

"Kovarian."

Amy and Rory's joint gasp startled Amelia so much that she knocked over the tower she had been building and for Anthony to knock over the TARDIS he was making as well.

"Now, please listen before you go and do anything Roman-y," The Doctor was looking where Rory was standing.

"That's creepy," he leaned over to whisper in Amy's ear. She nodded.

"Mum," River continued, "I wasn't completely honest with you..."

"Technically, neither was I," The Doctor was wringing his hands together.

"Okay," she sighed, "_we_ weren't completely honest with you."

There was a pause. Amy and Rory were tensed up. Kovarian? How could it possibly involve Kovarian? Had she actually found out that The Doctor and River were married? Was she coming after River again? And she couldn't know about Amelia...could she?

**_Back with The Doctor and River..._**

"Um..." The Doctor sonic-d the Angel holding Clara who released her through no choice of it's own and she rushed over to The Doctor and River.

"Kovarian?! Again?!" She was more than angry.

"Oh, who is this?"

"Clara, we've met, remember?" She had crossed her arms and looked back at the Angel who had ahold of her and pointed her index finger at it, "you come at me again and it will be the last thing you _ever do._" The Angel froze.

"Oh Doctor," Kovarian sighed, "why must we be so difficult?"

"We could ask you the same thing," he gasped seeing an Angel advancing on River again, he spun the women around so that he was facing the Angel, "you _will not_ _touch her again._" No one could question that as a threat. He then looked back at Kovarian, "and neither will you!" He turned the women around again. "Madame Kovarian, you have already taken more from me than should ever be allowed-"

"But that very thing, is what you're clinging so tightly to now, can you really say that it wasn't worth it?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"It wasn't worth it then, and it isn't worth it now."

"Well, actually Clara," The Doctor had leaned over to her, "it kind of was, I mean that's how I got River, and while the circumstances were less than ideal, it was worth it more or less in the end..." River stomped on his foot. "Ouch! River!"

"See Doctor," she smiled maniacally, "it was worth it."

"Not worth it enough, for a second go around."

"Oh Melody-"

"No!" River shouted at Kovarian startling both The Doctor and Clara. "Not again! Never again!"

"What makes you think that your opinion matters?" Her smile did not fade.

"Because, although I don't remember it, I _know_ I will _never,_"

"We," The Doctor added.

"Let my daughter go through that."

"Our..." he added.

"You will _never _take her from me-"

"Us."

"And I will see fit,"

"We," he tilted his head in addition.

"To withhold her from you for as long as I have breath in my lungs."

"Our lungs..." The Doctor mumbled. "As long we we have breath in our lungs."

"Doctor..." Clara was whispering. "She doesn't need backup.

"No, of course not," he leaned over to Clara, "but we're a bloody team!" He yanked the women around again. Despite a yelp of pain from River which The Doctor temporarily ignored before carefully stopping, "Kovarian! We are a team dammit! You mess with River, you've as good as messed with me! But you mess with both of us, and lady you don't have any idea what you've just done!"

"Oh Doctor," Kovarian smiled and shook her head. "Do you really think I'm scared of you?"

"You should be."

**_Back in the TARDIS..._**

"...okay, so we thought it was the right thing to do at the time..." River hesitated.

"Now, Amy, Rory," The Doctor was talking, "if you're seeing this, it means that _we_-"

"You."

"_We_ have activated it, and that _we_ are probably in mortal danger with our lives hanging on by a thread-"

"Doctor," River shoved him through clenched teeth.

"Not good?"

"No," River shook her head.

"Anyways, we may be dying, we might be dead, but the TARDIS is equipped to take you home straight away. Take Amelia back with you, take care of the TARDIS, and well, if we live through this...we'll see you again."

"And if we don't?" River was staring at him.

"Well, of course we'll live! Don't give me that look!"

"This look," River pointed to her face, "is not a look. This is my face."

"And your face, is giving _that_," he pointed at her face, "look."

"River? Doctor?" Amy's voice could be heard in the distance.

"Doctor!" River shoved him, "turn it off."

"Right, right okay, I'm working on it!"

The recording shut off. The whole console room was silent.

"Home?" Rory asked Amy.

"If I'm going to leave _my_ daughter-"

"Our daughter," Rory added with a roll of his eyes.

"And The Doctor in the hands of Kovarian and lord knows what else, I'll never be able to look at myself in the mirror again!"

"Well now," Rory began, "we all know that's not true."

"Rory," she huffed, "not helping."

They paused looking at each other.

"So," he began, "what do we do?"

"We save them!"

"Right," Rory agreed, "we save them...so The Doctor can come back and lecture us all about how we were supposed to listen to his message, hit the button, go home raise Amelia, and oh yeah, and about how we're _not supposed to follow them_!"

"Well, we all know they didn't mean that."

"They didn't?" Anthony had stood up and looked at his parents.

"No," Amy looked back and forth between them, "of course not. We need to save them Rory. I can't even think of just how many times they've saved us. And River is our daughter...we can't just leave them to die out there Rory."

"So what do we do?" He looked at her earnestly, "Amy, what do we do?"

"I don't...know..."

"Well we're going places," said Rory sarcastically.

**_Back with the trio..._**

"Oh Doctor, when will you ever give up?" Kovarian taunted him.

"Never, I will never stop fighting you. Not while the safety of _my_-"

"Our."

He spun to face her, "oh don't even start." Looking back at Kovarian he continued, "not while the safety of my family is at risk. And I'll never stop fighting to keep those that I love safe from harm!" He spun around and twisting a setting on his sonic screwdriver he pointed it at the Angel who had been holding onto River, "I've had just about enough of you!" He clicked the sonic and the Angel disintegrated.

"How are you doing that?" Came the child's voice of the lead Angel.

"What's the opposite of love Angel's?" He glared over at it.

"Hate, Doctor."

"Then that's what it was Angel," he stuck his sonic in that Angel's direction, "can you imagine just how much hate I have stored up in all my years? You must know I had to have put it somewhere."

"Where, Doctor?" Kovarian was a little concerned, he'd just done away with one of her ally's.

"In the sonic of course."

"You've been carrying hate around with you?" River questioned him.

"Of course not," he wiggled it in the air, "it's just my screwdriver."

"Filled with hate?" Clara and River both asked.

"Aren't you listening?" He sighed, shook his head and faced the Angel that had been holding Clara, "toodle-oo Angel." Then that Angel too disintegrated. Facing the lead Angel again, "we can go on with this until not one of you remains where you're standing, or you can leave and I won't kill your entire family. Since I'm assuming that is what this little grouping is."

"We shall leave Doctor," the Angel turned, "we shall bother you no more." The two Angels that had been flanking him followed.

With the sound of a crack, everyone gasped and faced Kovarian. An Angel had wrapped it's arms around her. Just then the familiar sounds of the TARDIS came issuing and it appeared. Both Amy and Rory rushed out to see The Doctor, River and Clara huddled together and upon seeing Kovarian in the arm of the Angel she tromped her way over there.

"Madame Kovarian," she was a mess and tears were streaming down her face, "you have done so much to my family already, I will not let you do the same thing to them." She looked at the Angel, "and neither will you dammit. You are going to let her go. I am going to turn my back and you will be gone, or so help me-" The Doctor had come up and wrapped his arms around Amy.

"Angel," he was pointing the sonic at it, "leave, or I will do to you what I did to the others."

"Come along, Pond." He pulled her behind him, the rest of the group had already made it back inside the TARDIS. After pushing Amy in the doors, "Kovarian, if you _ever_ try to take anyone from my family ever again, you will _rue_ the day I saved your life."

With that the Angel disappeared and The Doctor stepped into the TARDIS, walked over to River and pulled her injured hand up. A golden glow issued around it.

"Not again!" River huffed at him.

"There," he kissed it, "_please_ don't slap me this time." He gently set it to her side.

River raised her arms, grabbed his face in her hands and pulled him forward and kissed him.

"Eww," Anthony and Clara said together.

"Get a room," Rory grunted.

Amy just smiled. She'd never let anything happen to this family, ever again.


	24. Chapter 24

After a few moments, Clara decided it was time for the kiddos to go to sleep and offered to take them to bed. All of the adults nodded but no one spoke a word. It was starting to set in, what was going to be a difficult conversation for both parties. Clara stepped forward, picked up Amelia and beckoned Anthony to follow her. With some great reluctance he stood up and followed Clara from the room.

Amy and Rory both stared at The Doctor and River, alternating between them periodically. They couldn't believe why they would have hidden something this big from them. Yes, it made sense that they had hoped it wouldn't happen again and it was because of that that they had felt no real need to mention it to them, but at the same time how could they hope to protect her if they weren't honest and up front about Kovarian in the first place.

"River..." Amy began, unable to finish.

More silence followed as The Doctor and River knew neither how to explain themselves, or defend themselves. Amy and Rory had more than just a right to know what had happened with Kovarian, but they had been worried about how they would respond. Amy had killed Kovarian in an alternate reality and she had suffered a lot of remorse for that even despite it being a separate timeline.

"Um, Amy...uh, Rory..." The Doctor was as speechless as Amy had been.

River and Rory made eye contact, but neither had a clue as to what the other was thinking. So much silence had never befallen the group before. Yes when Amy and Rory had gone there was plenty of silence in the TARDIS, but at the same time, Amy and Rory hadn't been there, so this much silence was out of the ordinary, leaving everyone to wonder what the others were thinking and hesitant to say anything at all.

Bucking up the courage, The Last Centurion stepped forward.

"Doctor," he paused nodding at River, "River. We know that you thought that keeping that from us was right, and maybe it was at the time..." he looked at Amy and then back to the others, "but given who it was regarding and the fact that it did involve our granddaughter, I do believe we should have been informed."

The Doctor was wringing his hands together, not sure of what to say. Whenever Rory got this confident and bold there was a little part of him that whispered incessantly, _father-in-law, choose your words wisely._ He'd never been worried or felt even the slightest bit threatened by Rory until he married River, then suddenly everything was different.

"We thought, we were doing the right thing." River hesitated, "we knew you should have been told..." she sighed heavily, "but we just couldn't bring ourselves to tell you anything that upsetting."

"We understand -"

"We do?" Rory cut Amy off.

"Yes," she glanced at him, "we do."

"Right, right," Rory nodded at Amy and then to the other two, "we do."

Shaking her head Amy continued, "we understand _why_ you kept it from us. We probably would have done the same thing. But that's just it River, _you_ were taken from us by Kovarian. If anyone would have understood how you both felt, it would be us...is us," Amy said reflecting.

"Yes," The Doctor nodded at Amy, still wringing his hands together, "I suppose that's true."

"I know it's true," River guiltily agreed.

"River, we've missed you, and to some extent we'll probably never forgive Madame Kovarian for taking you from us, but at the same time, well," Rory paused, "we can't hate her for it either. We did get you back...eventually." The Doctor and River nodded. Neither could disagree with that. "Let's not discuss this anymore, just know that we will _always_ be there for you, but -"

"But?" River was a little concerned with this.

"But we think it's time we go home," Amy finished for him.

"Why?" The Doctor straightened up, "don't you miss us?"

"Of course, we miss you, but we have lives, and jobs to get back to."

"You couldn't stay with us...in this time?"

"We don't have a time machine Doctor," she shook her head, "some people just aren't meant to spend their whole lives traveling through space and time." Smiling at River she continued, "some are, but _we_ aren't."

"Oh come on Pond," The Doctor was frustrated, "you couldn't have lives here with us?"

"You are our life...when we're here, but we need to go home."

The Doctor and River both knew they were right, and knew that they owed them that much and more. The Girl Who Waited was once again choosing something over them. They had lived fifteen years without them, they did have lives and they could live without them. It wouldn't be fair to keep them here.

"Alright," The Doctor said dropping his arms to his sides, "first thing in the morning."

River's heart sank. She knew he was right, and they owed it to her parents to give them back their lives...but having to say goodbye to them again, and not knowing for how long, well she wouldn't let herself think that far ahead. Saying goodbye once had been hard, saying goodbye a second time would be hard too...if not harder.

"Well," Rory stepped toward the stairs extending his hand to Amy who took it, "I think it's time we all head to bed."

"Yes I agree," Amy nodded following Rory, "we can continue this conversation in the morning."

With that Amy and Rory had left the room. River's shoulders dropped, she'd selfishly been hoping that they would stay and never leave again. They were her parents, and in one way, they had been taken from her as much as she had ben from them. She wasn't ready to say goodbye to them, not again.

"You should get some rest River."

River looked up at The Doctor who was at the controls flicking levers and pushing buttons. Where was he going? River didn't have the strength to ask him, she didn't want to hear him say that he was taking Amy and Rory home. She didn't want to hear him confirm things for her. She did need to go to sleep. She'd been through plenty this day that she never wanted to relive, she deserved to go sleep, but part of her didn't think it was possible.

"River?"

"Yes," she nodded at him as a single tear slid from her face. She hurriedly brushed the tear off. "Yes, I should go get some rest." She was nodding, more to herself than to him. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be right behind you," he smiled at her.

"Right," she pivoted on the spot and walked up the stairs and down the hallway to her room and upon entering it she shoved the door closed and leaned against it. There was a pushing against the door.

"River..." The Doctor was a bit annoyed. He didn't want Amy and Rory to go either, but they were adults, they could make their own decisions. And no matter what they were or how much he disagreed with them, he would do what would make them most happy, even though it meant they'd be leaving him again. "I said I'd be _right_ behind you, please open the door."

River straightened up, walked over to the bed and collapsed. Upon opening the door The Doctor saw River crumple onto the bed. He'd seen so many different, more emotional sides of her lately, and he was never quite sure how to handle it.

Walking over to the bed he placed River comfortably in the bed underneath the covers, and tucked her in. He then walked over to his side of the bed, pulled off his jacket, bowtie and suspenders and draped them over the chair that sat beside the bed. After taking off his shirt and trousers he hopped into bed. Not two minutes later River adjusted herself so the she was cozied up against his back, and with her arm draped over him at the waist she forced her head into his back before letting out a cry.

The Doctor wasn't even sure what to do. Having a baby had almost certainly made River more emotional, she was still strong and independent and hell in high heels as always, but there was a certain softness that now accompanied it. She cared more about her actions, not that she'd never cared, but she had more remorse lately. He liked how motherly River was, and she was a great mother to little Amelia, he could never see himself without her. He'd done that once and had failed miserably at it, and to what was left of him, he would never let that happen again, even if it meant giving up his life. He was not going to be apart from this woman ever again.

Placing a hand gently over hers he leaned into her, if this was all she would let him do, he was going to make the best of it. Tomorrow was going to be a hard day, there was no denying it, and he would be there for River like she had _always_ been there for him.

_Next Morning..._

Out in the console room most of the group had already gathered, everyone but River, who had surprisingly still been asleep. Hardly a word was spoken before River made her appearance. The Doctor could tell that she'd been crying. He thought she had been asleep when he left their room that morning, had he been wrong? Had she been up? He did not know.

"Well," The Doctor sighed, "now that River's here..." he pulled the scanner and punched something into the keyboard. He was taking them home, he didn't have to like it, but he was doing it. The TARDIS made it's regular landing noise and River mumbled "breaks again" under her breath. "We're here. Surprisingly the TARDIS knew right where to send you." He eyed Amy carefully, she looked away avoiding his gaze.

"Amy," The Doctor eyed her, "what were you doing when the TARDIS brought you here?"

"Nothing," she admitted guiltily.

"Is that a 'nothing' or a nothing?"

"Just nothing," shaking her head, "a plain, normal, nothing."

"I don't believe you Amelia Pond, but I'll let you have just this one thing."

"Well then," Rory took a deep breath, "we're gonna make this quick, like ripping a band-aid off. We love you, you love us, but we really don't want an emotional goodbye at all."

Amy nodded in agreement.

"Right," River spoke up, "mum, dad, Anthony, goodbye." Upon trying to leave the room The Doctor rushed over grabbing her wrist.

"I have a feeling that's not what they meant River."

"Goodbye, is goodbye, no matter how many times you say it. No matter how long it takes you to say it. In the end goodbye is goodbye."

"Well," he hesitated glancing at his parents-in-law and then back to his wife, "I guess that's technically true. But River..."

"I can't give you much more."

"It's okay Doctor," as tears began to fill Amy's eyes, "I don't want a long goodbye either."

"Women..." Rory huffed.

"Is it gonna be easy for you?" Amy snapped back at him.

"No..."

"Well shut up then," she rushed over to River. As The Doctor released her wrist, knowing what Amy was planning she embraced River. "You will always be with us. We love you. We shall love you always." River was nodding. "You can visit now that the TARDIS herself has found a way to do that. Today is not the end River. Today is just the beginning." She tightened her grasp on River, "you are my-"

"Our," Rory interjected.

"Daughter and I-"

"We," Rory sighed looking at The Doctor, "so possessive." The Doctor nodded.

"Will always love you. You'll never really be gone from us. And let's be honest River, we've got a grandbaby now, you couldn't keep us away."

"Oh mum," River said finally giving in. The two women held each other and cried while everyone else in the room began to say their goodbyes.

"Don't forget you have a brother now," Anthony was saying to The Doctor, "and brothers are cool, so..." he sighed heavily, "don't stay gone for too long. I've gotten used to you and that silly bowtie-"

"Bowties are cool," he habitually straightened his bowtie.

"And your insistance that they're cool," he continued, "I'm gonna miss you Doctor."

"Are you now?" He was both surprised and sardonic.

"Yep," he nodded, "never thought I'd say that."

"Neither did I," Rory had a look of surprised all over his face.

"You like me more than River now?" He smiled at him.

"Hey now," River let go of Amy and wiped the tears from her face, "not fair."

"Not fair? What River is not exactly...fair?"

"Cornering him when I'm preoccupied."

"I'm not...I'm not cornering him River."

"Oh? Then what was that?"

"Proving a point," he looked from his wife back to his little brother-in-law, "I'm cooler than River right?"

"No," the little guy laughed, "River will always be cooler than you."

"Great, I beat Angels that scare you, and save the universe nearly everyday and River is _still_ cooler than me," he shook his head, "nope, no. I refuse to accept that. What do I have to do to be cooler than River?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"You'll never be cooler than River," he was laughing at The Doctor who was now fuming.

"Anthony Brian Pond...don't even go there," Amy scolded.

"See?" The Doctor stuck his tongue out at him. "Amy thinks I'm cooler."

"Uh-uh," she shook her head and stepped towards the door, Rory and the rest of the group following reluctantly, (Clara was in the back holding onto Amelia who had fallen asleep on Clara's shoulder), "you are not dragging me into your petty debate."

After a few more moments of goodbyes and The Doctor trying to convince Anthony that he was indeed cooler than River, Amy reached for the door.

"We love you all," she smiled pulling the doors open. "Don't forget to visit. There will always be room at Christmas, so please, don't stay away."

"Yeah, don't stay away," Anthony and Rory said in unison before looking at each other bewildered.

"Well that was..." Rory wasn't sure what to call it.

"Interesting," Anthony helped.

"Yes, that's a good work," Rory nodded at his son.

Amy directed Rory and Anthony from the TARDIS, "goodbye Raggedy Man."

Pulling the doors shut behind her Amy walked forward with a sigh and took the arms of her guys and they headed back to their home.

"Well then," The Doctor said spinning around, "Clara where would you like to go?"

"I think you guys need some time alone," she smiled, "and I do need to work, so Doctor, take me home would you?"

"If that's what you want Clara."

"There's always going to be adventures with you," she sighed, "but I think I could use a break."

"Yes, right," he went over to the scanner, "Artie and Angie here we come!" Pushing buttons and pulling levers and the TARDIS was soon moving again, through time and space. River was talking to Clara over at the stairs.

As The Doctor reflected on his life he realized just how important his family was to him, and just how much a part of it Clara had become. She was as much a part of the family as Rory or Amy, or even Anthony was. Clara was in essence a Pond. She'd been through hell with them, had survived and was worth her weight in gold. Yes he would be saying goodbye to her for now too, but only for a week. He always came back, and she was always ready to greet him. That was something that would never change, as long as they lived, Clara would always mean the world to him. His Impossible Girl, she would never be gone from him either. The Doctor landed the TARDIS.

"_Breaks_..." River stressed.

"Breaks," he mumbled under his breath. "Until next week Clara?"

"You know it," she smiled at him and handed Amelia back to River. She bobbed over to the doors, but before opening them she spun to face The Doctor, "run, run you clever boy...and remember me."

"Not funny," he was shaking his head at her.

"Of course it's funny," she smiled, "Wednesday 12 o'clock. Don't be late."

"Am I ever?" Smugly.

"Yes," River and Clara answered together.

"Goodbye River, goodbye Doctor, goodbye little Mia." Clara smiled faced the doors, pulled them open and left the TARDIS. She was right, they'd be back for her. Wednesday. And she would travel with them like she always did. Because Clara was special. She had saved his life so many times over, and he would never be able to repay her for that, but if she needed time to herself as well, he would give it to her. He was going to try to have a family again, a wife and child. It had been so long, he wasn't even sure if he could do it; but looking at River, he knew why he could.

"I'm gonna go lay her down," River resituated Amelia in her arms, "want to come?"

"Of course," he nodded and followed River and Amelia from the room.

Entering the nursery River placed Amelia in the cot.

"My darling," River said stroking her daughters newly growing golden curls, "you won't have an easy life. Your parents are messed up and flawed people, but know we will always be here for you. You are precious, _so_ precious to us, never doubt that. We love you very much sweetheart." River sighed looking at The Doctor, "she's going to have it so hard."

"Yes," he wouldn't deny it, "she will, but know what she will also be?" River shrugged. "Amazing. She will be amazing." He smiled down at Amelia as he pulled her little blanket up over her. "She _is_ amazing."

"I'm going to go lay down River," she nodded at him, "you coming?"

"Yes, I'll be right behind you."

He bent down and kissed his daughters forehead and then kissed River's cheek and turned to walk out of the room. River stood looking at her daughter.

"'Right behind'?" The Doctor walked back into the room, "your definition of 'right behind' is clearly different than mine. How 'right behind' are you intending to be River? I'd like to know if I'm going to sleep or not," he smiled at her.

River shook her head and followed him to the door, glancing one last time at her daughter sound asleep in her bed she reached for the light switch. She still didn't understand how she deserved her daughter, but she would never take her for granted ever. Amy had threatened Kovarian, and the Angels had left, but the Doctor was The Doctor, they could never truly give up or truly be free of anyone. But part of that fact was something she loved him for. At the gentle tug on her sleeve from her impatient husband she turned the light off.

"Goodnight, sweetie."

_The End...for now..._

Note: The Doctor, River, Amelia and Clara (and maybe other characters) will be back in the sequel. _The Doctor and His Daughter_, coming soon! Follow me for updates!

Update (6/24/13) : The story is up (well the beginning of it is anyways) and can be found by going to my bio page and clicking on the title "_The Doctor and His Daughter_"


End file.
